When Love Happens
by TheRoseOfShadows
Summary: Full summary inside! House and Cuddy have a daughter? When she comes back to their lives, problems and secrets arise. How will they all take it? Huddy! Read and Review please!
1. The Troubles Of Being A Nobody

Summary: I know this has been done a lot but this is slightly different. House and Cuddy have daughter that they have forgotten. When an orphaned girl comes to PPTH, will that spark a hidden love interest in both of them? How will they take it? How will the daughter take it? And can House figure out his daughter's current illness? Or is the daugther coming back into House's life affecting his skills? The daughter is about thirteen at the moment.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House M.D. All I own is my characters and the bag of Skittles next to me.

Chapter One: The Troubles of Being A Nobody

Kara sat on the windowsill, watching the cars pass by the orphanage without a second thought. The orphanage wasn't in bad shape like the ones are TV usually show. No graffiti graced the brick walls and the windows were clear free of any smudges. The bright yellow door mat screamed welcome at the door and the door itself was painted a nice, calming azure color. The letters of the address were brand new and the hedges around the building were neatly trimmed. As well as the outside, the inside was clean despite the large number of kids living in the orphanage. The wooden floors were barely scarred with scuffs and the paint was still nice and crisp. Pictures of the children were hung around the orphanage neatly and the tables and fireplaces were dust free. The children's' beds were always neatly made and their personal effects were set aside in a trunk at the end of the beds.

Despite all the cleanliness and order in the orphanage, it was a dilapidated place to live. Ms. Charles always tried to keep a cheerful optimism going on for the little kids but to the older ones, they knew that there was all most no hope in getting adopted or their parents coming back for them. Kara was one of those older kids who had given up. Being an orphan basically meant you were a nonentity in the world. No one was bothered about you being deprived of a normal life, no one wanted you, no one even gave you a single care in the world. Ms. Charles always had errands to do and was hardly at Greenridge Orphanage. The little kids minded their manners as everyone was put to cleaning the orphanage day in and day out, keeping all the state's regulations in check.

But today was going to be a different day. Today was the day that all the kids were going to the clinic to be checked out. Some needed booster shots, other Hepatitis B, and others just needed to be checked up. Greenridge Orphanage hardly ever went anywhere unless the state said they had too. It cost so much to go places and it was such a hassle to keep all the kids in line and such. Kara let out a sigh, swiveling around and stepping back into the room. Her friend, Skyler, walked into the large room, kicking at a random trunk but instantaneously grabbing her foot as the brusque pain came from her big toe.

"I could have told you that was going to happen." Kara said, watching her with interest. Dissimilar to Kara, Skyler was the total opposite. Kara had long brown hair as where Skyler had short flaxen hair. Kara had piercing blue eyes and a death glare while Skyler had soft ocher eyes and never gave out any glares. Kara had olive skin while Skyler was as ashen as a piece of paper. And where Kara was always pessimistic, disagreeable, cynical, and malicious, Skyler would be amiable, susceptible, pleasant, and rueful.

"That's what I get for kicking something." She told her, frowning. It wasn't like her to be kicking something randomly.

"Why did you do it?" Kara asked, also frowning. She suddenly started coughing sadistically.

"Well, you always do it. You say it helps you think. I thought I could try it for once. Are you okay?" Skyler pointed out, shrugging. "Oh, Ms. Charles says we need to go now." She added, staring at her friend as she nodded.

Kara sighed. She loathed doctors. They usually acted so daft and asked the dumbest questions ever. "Didn't she say we were going to an actual hospital then a clinic?" Kara inquired instead, her face portraying one of abhorrence.

"Yeah, I think so. Actually, she said that it's a clinic in a hospital." Skyler answered, shrugging. Suddenly, the annoying shrill voice of Ms. Charles calling for them broke the monotonous silence of the orphanage. "Coming!" Skyler called back, looking at Kara. "You have to go. And you haven't been feeling well at all, remember? Are you sure you're fine? You look a bit...pale."

"Yeah, yeah, I know and I'm fine. That doesn't mean the bonehead will diagnose me or even notice." Kara told her, heading downstairs. Skyler rolled her eyes at her friend's lackadaisical behavior.

"At least we get out of here." She mumbled back, closing the door of the large bedroom.

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Kara and Skyler sat quietly in the waiting room, watching all around them as numerous people passed them. Some were nurses, others were doctors, and yet some were other sick people waiting unwearyingly until it was their turn. Skyler held their slip, which had their names written on the paper, the time of the check-up, and the name of their doctor in pencil. Some of the younger orphans were standing at the door of the examine rooms, unsure if they should go in or not and remind their doctor that it was their turn.

Suddenly, two older girls stood in front of Kara and Skyler. "Hey, what doctor do you have?" The oldest, Nicole, asked, curling her long blonde hair around her ear.

Skyler and Kara both exchanged glances of aversion before glancing at their paper. "A Dr. Wilson. Why?" Skyler answered, squinting her eyes to try and read through their yellow slip.

"Can we trade?" She asked instead, not answering their own question.

Kara frowned, the sudden impulse to exchange seemed apprehensive. "Not until you tell us why and who you have." Kara stated blatantly, grabbing on to Skyler's wrists as she started to obey.

"We have this guy named Dr. House. We overheard him in his room and he seemed like a big jerk. So we were wondering if you wanted to have him instead. I mean, he might be a challenge for you, Kara, since we know you love people who talk back." Nicole elucidated, referring to the incident that had happened just a few days ago. A couple had come to the orphanage to adopt but Kara distressed them so much that they left without even seeing all the children. Kara had been severely punished but Kara didn't care.

They could seem something spark in Kara's blue eyes as a slow smirk graced her lips. "All right. Now, where's a pencil?" She said, putting both slips on the table next to them. She was the best at forging names and such. Nicole took one out of her purse, smiling at Kara, who took it and began to erase, her tongue slightly clenched between both sets of her teeth.

Kara finished just in the nick of time. "Appointment one fifteen to Dr. House's exam room, please." The nurse called vociferously, causing several of the orphans to glance down at their papers. Kara stood up, followed by Skyler.

"Here goes nothing." Kara muttered as they headed to the examine room. The other two kids virtually ran out of the room, looking as if they might cry. Kara coughed, clearing her throat afterwards. She pushed open the door, getting a good glimpse of the back side of the doctor. From what she could tell, he was wearing a black blazer and jeans. A cane sat upright against the counter. Skyler came in after her, looking at Kara. "You go first." Kara whispered, pointing to the bed. Skyler nodded and plopped herself on the bed, causing the doctor to turn.

He was frowning deeply, it reaching all the way to his forehead. Kara held out the slip to Dr. House. He stared at Skyler for a moment before turning his glare on Kara. His eyes were quite startling, almost reminding Kara of hers. She glared at him back. "You'll have to go to Dr. Wilson. I'm done." He finally said, grabbing his cane and starting to limp towards the door. He stopped when Kara didn't move.

"But we have an appointment with you." Kara told him, being to frown. Skyler slowly slipped off the bed, looking up at the doctor. He was exceedingly tall, maybe around the six foot area.

"Good for you." House snapped back, going around Kara and opening the door. Kara and Skyler exchanged glances. Kara headed after the doctor. No wonder she hated doctors so much. They were always so egotistical. Thinking of no one but themselves. Kara might have been a nobody, but she did have her rights and she knew that.

"We have to be checked out or we might be shipped off into other orphanages." Kara said callously. A nurse happened to over hear and began to head the opposite direction, evidently looking for someone.

"To bad I don't care." House told her behind his shoulder, glancing back to see the girl. She seemed somewhat familiar. Her attitude seemed almost like his.

"Kara, maybe we should just wait." Skyler said inaudibly, grabbing Kara's arm. Kara glanced at Skyler, seeing the nurse from before coming back with someone following. It was woman in a business suit with black hair and blue eyes. She seemed a bit livid.

"No. You're doing the check up whether you like it or not." Kara told him, ripping her arm from Skyler.

He scoffed at her statement. "That's funny." He mentioned to her, hearing the distinct sound of heels clicking the floor. His pace quickened. "And how exactly would you do that?" He added.

Kara grinned maliciously. "Like this!" She shouted, running after him and kicked. Her foot made perfect contact with Dr. House's cane. The cane flew out of House's hands and he fell forward, landing face first on the floor. The cane flew across the hallway and landed at the very end, near the elevators. Kara heard several gasps beside her. One of them for sure was Skyler's and the other was almost certainly Ms. Charles. She always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The woman that was following the nurse unexpectedly ran up to Dr. House, reaching down. The nurse came on the other side and together they helped him up with a lot of complexity. A hand came around Kara and pulled her back right into Ms. Charles. "Kara!" She exclaimed in dismay. Tidbits of laughter rippled through the room as the other orphans began to apprehend what exactly just happened. "Just what exactly have you gotten yourself into this time." She said, now anxious. Kara just rolled her eyes. The man deserved what was coming. If no one stood up to him, he would keep acting like that self pompous ass. As they turned Dr. House around, he was glaring coldly at Kara as she was him. The lady, Dr. Cuddy as her name tag read, glanced down the hall. His cane was way down there. The nurse, as if reading Dr. Cuddy's mind, went to go fetch it. Dr. Cuddy stared at Kara and then House. Their current behavior seemed almost identical to each other. She frowned and looked up at the woman who came to Kara's rescue.

Alright, there it is. Is it Good? Bad? Should I continue or not? This is my first House story so please be nice! I love the three C's: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism. I'll update as soon as I can, but first that requires some reviews now, doesn't it?


	2. Sick and The Birth Certificate

I want to thank everyone who reviewed chapter one! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and I hope you will enjoy this one as well. It's longer for one thing! And you have flashbacks!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House M.D.! All I own is Kara, Skyler, Ms. Charles!

Chapter Two: Sick and The Birth Certificate

"What's going on here?" Cuddy asked, staring at House. He usually was the main reason for these nasty reactions but of course, none had gone this far. She looked over at Kara and Ms. Charles. Ms. Charles seemed at lost of what to say. Kara was too busy glaring at House to answer Cuddy while House just plain ignored her, rubbing the side of his face which had turned red from the impact. Ms. Charles nudged Kara, frowning at her. Kara sighed heavily, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Skyler and I went to go get checked out when this imbecile...ouch!" Kara huffed unhappily, pausing when Ms. Charles pinched her arm. "But he...fine! When Dr. House said that he didn't care about us and that we could be sent to different orphanages for all he cared." She finished, crossing her arms. It wasn't fair that Ms. Charles was monitoring her words. Cuddy opened her mouth to say something but Kara interrupted. "And, since it **IS** his job in the clinic to check us up, I decided to remind him of that. So, ergo, I kicked his cane." She finished smugly.

"Which she is very sorry for doing so." Ms. Charles quickly put in, smiling lightly at the two doctors.

"No I'm not." Kara insisted, looking up at Ms. Charles. She groaned slightly, glaring at Kara. It was bad enough that Kara always talked back and always seemed to get in to trouble, but not to be sorry for something malicious she had done was just plain evil.

Cuddy sighed. She really didn't want to press any charges against an orphanage but nor did she want the state getting mad at the hospital for not doing its job. Why did House always get her into these situations. "All right, Dr. House is going to check you two out before leaving. We will not press any charges since we are going to forget this all happened? And I would appreciate if you just didn't speak at all during the check up. Okay?" She said jadedly. Instantaneously both House and Kara began to protest. Ms. Charles pulled lightly on Kara's elbow and whispered something in her ear. Kara scowled but nodded.

"Fine." She hissed irately. Cuddy glanced over at House. From his facial expression, she knew he was going to say no. She glared at him and he frowned back at her. Cuddy grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Ms. Charles and Kara.

"You know, I'm crippled here." House muttered to her as she dragged him down the hall.

"Shut up, House. You're going to check those two girls out whether you like it or not! And that's final." Cuddy hissed at him, glaring at him. Sometimes he could get her so worked up. It drove her crazy.

"But that's not fair." House whined, pouting ever so slightly.

"Having to work with you isn't fair." She added, turning to look at Ms. Charles and Kara. The other girl, Skyler, had joined them and it looked as if Ms. Charles was already reprimanding Kara for her behavior. "Now, come on." She threw over her shoulder, heading towards the trio.

"How many times must I tell you it over and over again. If you don't learn, you could end up with something bad happening to you." Ms. Charles was preaching. Skyler was looking down, acting as if she was the one punished.

"All right. Everything's settled. House, if you please." Cuddy told them, turning to glance at House. His facial expression had turned into one of curiosity. Cuddy frowned and looked in the same direction he was looking at. He was staring at Kara. Her body was flaccid and she looked all most like she was going to throw up. Suddenly, her legs buckled underneath of her and she collapsed on the floor. Cuddy and Skyler immediately kneeled down beside her. Ms. Charles hadn't noticed since she was yelling at another kid. Cuddy felt the Kara's forehead. "She's has no fever. Looks like you just have a new case, House." Cuddy said, standing up and looking at him.

He frowned. "Sure, she kicks me and I get to treat her. That seems equitable." He muttered, looking around before spotting a nurse. "Hey, come pick this thing up."

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Kara woke up gradually to a sharp pain in her right arm. She looked up, spotting a doctor taking her blood. Raising an eyebrow, she looked around the hospital room. Skyler was outside of the room with Ms. Charles, who was talking to that lady from before. What did her name tag read? Kara racked through her brain then finally decided it was fruitless. In spite of not knowing her name, Kara seemed somewhat drawn to the woman. Maybe it the sickness that was making her feel this way? She finally placed her gaze back on the doctor, reading his name tag. "Dr. Foreman?" She murmured. "Why are you doing what you are doing?" She asked, her brows furrowing and frowning.

"You're our new patient. We checking to see what's wrong with you." He answered austerely, giving her a small smile.

Kara nodded, looking out of the room. "And what are they talking about?"

Dr. Foreman glanced over his shoulder before answering. "Dr. Cuddy's talking to them about insurance and stuff. Probably getting all your records, birth certificate, any medical problems within your family and such." He clarified, putting the needle down.

"I'm an orphan." Kara told him, looking up at the man. "How can they know what my family's medical history is if no one knows who my parents are?" She added, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He paused. "It all depends on if you were born at a hospital. If you were, you're parents would have signed the birth certificate. If you were born at home or somewhere else, you might not have one." He finally answered, choosing his words rather charily. Kara slowly nodded, watching him check a bag of yellow liquid. "Yes, that's urine." He informed Kara.

"Wow. I got it made. I've got TV, food, and I don't even have to go to the restroom to relieve myself. I'm in heaven." Kara stated mordantly, her blue eyes bright as she smirked slightly. Foreman paused, staring at the familiar face. Who did that remind him of? Kara caught him staring. "What?" She asked.

"It's nothing. I just thought for a moment you looked like someone I know." He answered, shaking his head. "All right, can I get you anything?" He said instead. Her gaze was one of inquisitiveness as she shook her head. He nodded to her before leaving the room.

Just as soon as he left, Skyler bounded in, grinning broadly at Kara. "Hey, Kara! You doing okay? You had us all scared." She exclaimed, plopping down in the adjacent chair. Skyler, now, had her hair pulled up into a ponytail, just her bangs hanging in her face.

"I think so. What happened? All I remember is feeling really dizzy and tired." Kara said, sitting up in her bed, fluffing up her pillow before leaning on it.

"You passed out." She retorted. "Ms. Charles says that I can stay with you since she doesn't trust you to be here all alone." Skyler added, looking out the window. Dr. Cuddy and Ms. Charles were gone. "Ms. Charles is getting your birth certificate and papers." Skyler said slowly, knowing how irritable Kara was about the subject of her parents.

Kara nodded torpidly. "I heard. So, Dr. Foreman, is going to heal me? You think he's any good?" Kara asked instead, trying to push the subject as far away as possible.

Skyler smiled feebly. "Dr. Foreman isn't the doctor. He's just like...a helper to the real person who's treating you." Skyler told her, frowning slightly. "There's three helpers actually. Dr. Foreman, Dr. Chase, and Dr. Cameron. You know, that one doctor, Dr. Chase, isn't that bad looking." Skyler began, drifting off into her own little world.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. So if they are like helpers, than who's the head honcho?" Kara asked.

Skyler gave a strained smile. "You'll never guess." She laughed.

Kara looked at Skyler with dismay. "Don't tell me! The limping pig!" She gasped.

Skyler scowled. "If by 'limping pig' you meant, Dr. House, then yes, you guessed it." Skyler agreed, nodding her head. Kara groaned and looked up at the ceiling with a 'Why me?' look.

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"This is all I have." Ms. Charles said softly, handing the manila folder to Lisa Cuddy. "Her parents seem to be in quite a rush to get her adopted. Most people are like that, though. It's either the guilt or because they are ashamed of their mistake." She added as if that would help her. Cuddy paused slightly, as if this all seemed really familiar to her. She shook her head slightly, opening up the folder and looking at the type of insurance that covered her.

"This will do just fine, Ms. Charles. Thank you." Cuddy told her benevolently, smiling at the woman. She seemed very nice but also very tired. She did have a very trying job. Ms. Charles nodded and left quietly, heading in the direction of the girl's room. Cuddy put her pen down and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.

.:Flashback:.

_Lisa watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was waiting for her as usual, leaning against the tree nonchalantly. Lisa turned back to her friends, smiling at them. "Gotta go, 'kay?" She told them, curling her black hair around her ear. Her friends all said goodbye. Clutching her books tighter to her body, she walked to him. "You know, if you keep waiting for me, people might actually start talking." She whispered to him, grinning._

_Greg chuckled lightly, grabbing her books and holding them for her. He looked deep into her eyes before pulling her into a deep kiss. His eyes slowly drifted down her body. "God, everyday you get more beautiful." He whispered at her._

_Lisa couldn't help but grin sheepishly. "Come on." She urged him. They walked away together._

_Later…_

_"Come on, Greg. Don't be such a baby." Lisa teased, watching him. She was laying on her bed, waiting for him to consent. Despite all his comments about it, he seemed to be very vigilant about the real thing._

_"But I don't have a..." Greg began, looking at her, his blue eyes filled with worry._

_She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "We're allowed to be reckless once, aren't we? Come on...you know you can't resist me." She said, leisurely unbuttoning her shirt. He gulped._

_"Well, I guess..." He said, plopping on the bed next to her, leaning in to give her a kiss._

.:End Of Flashback:.

Cuddy opened her eyes quickly, sitting up a bit straighter. She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. She grabbed the folder, slowly flipping through the pages until she reached the birth certificate. The child had a right to know exactly who her parents were. Maybe Cuddy would see if they were still living and maybe, help with Kara's diagnostic. Her eyes drifted to the bottom of the birth certificate. She read it prudently: Time: 8:45pm When: October 10th. Cuddy reached the last line. Her eyes widened in shock and she paled slightly. There was no way. It was a paradox for this to happen. It was an anomaly. It was absolutely impossible for this to happen. She closed her eyes, opening them back up. House's and her names were still there on the birth certificate, serenely pointing out that this was happening.

She should have been happy. The one mistake she had made in her life had come back to her at a time of need. Cuddy really wanted a baby. A thirteen year old popping up wasn't the one thing she had expected but it was her child. How could she forget that day? The horrendous decision both of them had made for the sake of their lives, careers, and Kara's life as well. She thought she would have been adopted by now. Kara had been a beautiful baby to begin with. How could someone not want to adopt her? Her mind raced back to earlier on with Kara kicking House. She was unquestionably her father's child. And his attitude wasn't an alluring one to most people. That must have been why. Cuddy put her face in her hands and laid them both on the table. Who knew her past would come up to haunt her?

.:Flashback:.

_Lisa screamed in pain as the contractions worsened. Greg winced slightly as Lisa squeezed his hand with new gusto. Both of them knew it was going to be painful for Lisa to give birth. Especially without meds to numb the pain. And unfortunately, Lisa was too far in to have meds now. They needed to get the baby out. They were so young and they both had so much potential left. "Push!" The doctor ordered. Lisa did, screaming out again. "Alright, the head's coming!" He exclaimed. Greg shuffled over to see but Lisa yanked him back, glaring at him. He grinned sheepishly. "It's a girl." The doctor finally said, ushering the baby to the nurse so she could wash it and then put it in the nursery. _

_A loud wailing cry filled the room and Lisa relaxed slightly, all sweaty. "The placenta should come out soon." Greg whispered to her. _

_She groaned at him, shaking her head. Minutes passed by and finally, Lisa was sent in a room. Greg was with her, sitting on the edge of her bed. The door opened and the nurse came in, holding a pink bundle. "Here she is." The nurse cooed, handing the baby very carefully to Lisa. _

_Lisa smiled enthusiastically, looking at her baby. The baby was so small. She had no hair but she was still so delectable, especially with those piercing blue eyes. Greg looked over at the baby also. "She looks a lot like you." He whispered, looking over at Lisa._

_"The skin maybe. But she has most of your features." She chided, smiling at him but it faltered. Greg sighed, seeming to know what the problem was. "Greg," She whispered, trailing off._

_"I know, Lisa, I know. It's the only thing." He added quietly._

_ Lisa nodded. She couldn't help feel culpable. She was cheating her daughter out of a life maybe. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked, holding the baby close to her. She breathed erratically, looking up at Greg. "Just let me feed her once." She said. She wanted to know the feeling of caring for her baby before she gave it up. Greg nodded, watching her undo her hospital gown and bring the baby close. The baby, apparently ravenous, didn't waste any time. After everything was done, Lisa fixed her hospital gown, kissing the girl on the head._

_"I'll make the arrangements." Greg said, nodding to Lisa and picking the baby up circumspectly. Lisa nodded, sniffing. Greg sighed, looking up at the baby. "Good bye, kiddo." He whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room, baby in arm. Lisa laid back in her bed, crying. _

.:End of Flashback:.

Cuddy sat up, her mascara running. She didn't know she had been crying during her reminiscence. Grabbing a tissue, she dabbed at her eyes. What kind of name was Kara? Of course, House probably named her when he gave her to the adoption agency, unsure of really what to name her. Of course, he would forget about something like that. He was House. He had changed. He didn't give a damn about anything and anyone any more. She sniffed, grabbing a few more tissues. No time like the present to mention this to House. Instead of going off and searching for him, she called his pager. She was sure if she walked out of that door, she would burst into tears again. And that would lead to questions she just didn't want to deal with.

I hope you guys enjoyed it! Remember, the three C's are recommended and loved! Please review!


	3. The Truth Revealed

I don't know if this chapter is longer than the last one but it has House's flashback! Sorry for making you wait awhile but I had to finish tweaking chapter four! I hope you enjoy it and please review! It makes me want to write faster! Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own characters! So stop freaking out already! Please enjoy!

Chapter Three: The Truth Revealed

"This have better be a booty call." House said, sauntering into Cuddy's office. For the past hour, his pager had been beeping and saying CUDDY over and over again. He had tried to ignore it but after the twentieth time, it couldn't be ignored anymore. He stared at the vacant desk and chair before slowly turning to the couch. Cuddy sat there, sniffling with a small mound of tissues on the table next to her. Her makeup was running and her hair looked hazardous. He had never seen Cuddy like this before. She was glaring at him for his remark but she didn't say anything. "You...okay?" He asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

She nodded torpidly, wiping her eyes before taking a shaky breath. "House," She started vigilantly, "you'll never guess what's just happened." She laughed acrimoniously as if it was suppose to make her feel better. The laughter turned into hiccups which led into sobs.

"Someone tried to touch you in your naughty place?" House asked, smirking slightly. It was suppose to help lift the mood, but as soon as he said it, he didn't think it would work.

"Can't you ever be serious for once?" She snapped, glowering at him. She let out another breath before patting the seat beside her. Slowly, House made his way over to it, sitting down beside her. She handed him at tissue. He stared at it skeptically. She rolled her eyes and took it back. "It's about...your patient...Kara." She said precariously, sniffling.

"She kick you too?" He offered, glancing over at her. She looked kind of pathetic, almost vulnerable. Usually she was always on her high horse, barking out orders and acting as if she was God herself. But now, she seemed human.

"No." She said, laughing lightly. She smiled slightly, glancing over at him. Despite his brash, supercilious behavior, she couldn't help but surreptitiously want him. They had dated when they went to college. The only reason why they broke up was because she decided to go to a new college. "Kara, she's..." She trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

"She's what? Bi-polar? Schizophrenic? Dead?" He guessed. Cuddy bursted into the tears again, pointing to her desk. He stood up and limped to the desk, spotting a manila folder. He picked it up and opened it, something dropping out of it. He looked down at it. It was the birth certificate. He picked it up, glancing at it. He paused, his eyes lingering on the signatures on the bottom. He slowly turned back to Cuddy, who was looking at him carefully. He dropped his eyes back to the certificate. "This is impossible." He whispered, collapsing on the couch beside her, holding the certificate firmly in his hands.

"Not impossible. Just highly improbable." She muttered back to him, leaning back against the couch. Both of them were quiet for a moment, remembering the same exact day. The day that Cuddy had finally told House that she was pregnant and how they both agreed on giving the baby up for adoption. It was one of the hardest things they had to decide on. Cuddy really didn't want to do it but House mentioned that they had more years of college to attend too and raising a baby would be arduous on both of them. "Well," Cuddy began slowly, her voice trailing off yet again. She looked at House distraughtly.

He looked at her and their eyes locked. The world seem to go on mute for just a moment before crashing back to him. He jerked his eyes away and sighed. He looked down at his hands and then his cane. "Probably go talk to that lady." He finally said silently, glancing back at Cuddy. She was throwing the tissues away. She wasn't crying now. She nodded slowly.

"Okay. Let me get myself ready first." She mumbled, standing up and going towards her desk. He nodded silently, watching Cuddy grab her purse and then leave her office. He leaned back, letting out a huge sigh and picking up the birth certificate again.

.:Flashback:.

_Greg sat ineptly with the baby. She was sleeping now, dressed in something that Lisa had bought. He had the nurse dress her and with the doctor's directions, he had arrived at the adoption agency. Before he had gone, Greg had to finish up the birth certificate for Lisa, since she only got the part where she had to sign it before bursting into tears. Picking the name of his daughter must have been the easiest part of the certificate. He just opened a book of baby names arbitrarily and chose the first one he saw, which had been Kara. He actually sort of liked it. At the end, the baby's full name was Kara Lynn House. _

_"Alright, Mr. House, are you sure you want to give up your baby?" The adoption agency lady asked him, watching him inquisitively. Parents usually never delivered their babies to the agencies. Usually it was social workers, or doctors, or something. This boy seemed somewhat calm or dead, she couldn't tell which, at the moment._

_"Yes." He droned, glancing down at the baby as she shifted. Her gorgeous blue eyes opened and looked up at him curiously. His thumb raised up and he ran if over her smooth head, the ends of his lips twitching slightly. _

_"Would you like a moment with your baby?" The lady asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Was he trying to smile at his baby or frown? _

_Greg looked up. "No." He answered austerely, holding the baby out, trying not to look at her. It was for the best, his mind kept repeating even though his heart screamed 'NO!' The longer he kept her the more harder it was going to be when he finally gave her to the lady. The lady nodded, standing up and taking the baby from him. The baby's gaze retreated to the woman as if knowing that she was not her mother. Greg bolted up, grabbing his backpack swiftly and virtually running out of the room. He slammed the door close as he exited and ran out of the building, leaning against it. The baby was now crying from what he could still hear. Greg closed his eyes, slamming his fists into the wall as his vision became blurry. Greg's legs buckled underneath of him and he slid down, landing huskily on the concrete. He brought his knees up to his chest and put his face in his hands, finally letting his tears come. _

.:End of Flashback:.

House looked up from the certificate, seeing Cuddy waiting in the doorway. She looked relatively normal now, but the skin around her eyes was still puffy. House stood up and walked towards her, starting to fold the certificate and put it in his pocket. "You can't fold that!" She said, taking it from him. Ostensibly her attitude was back to normal as well. She looked up at him with a slight scowl on her face. "Come on." She added, turning around and starting to leave. House watched her walk for a few feet, his eyes lingered at her butt. That could always change his mood. He limped after her, smirking slightly to himself.

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Ms. Charles stared at House and Cuddy in shock, her mouth slightly open. Her eyes drifted back down to the birth certificate. They were not to far from Kara's hospital room and were currently seated. It was a good thing that House had told her to sit down because Ms. Charles actually thought she might faint. Parents coming back to their children was as close as a miracle of changing water into wine. It just didn't happen. She gazed back up at them. Of course she was ecstatic for Kara in two ways. One, that Kara did have parents and that they might want her back. They had only just told the news that they were Kara's parents. They hadn't said anything about wanting her. The second reason was that if they did want her, there would be no more Kara at the orphanage. Despite how wrong that sounded, Kara was always messing with potential parents. Adoption rates at Green Ridge Academy had decreased over the years since Kara's lexis and knack for ticking people off grew.

"Well, this is quite a surprise." Ms. Charles finally said, smiling over at them. But, their were impediments about them as well that would come up if they wanted their child. They weren't married so Kara might not have a stable environment to live in. She would have to look through all their records and such. Not to mention that Kara would have to consent about all of this. That would be bad since Kara didn't have a compassionate disposition.

"Yes, it was." Cuddy agreed, shaking her head and messing with her hair. House sat there silently, passing his cane between his hands. Ms. Charles nodded. She couldn't even envisage the thought of finding out that you had just met up with your daughter that you haven't seen in thirteen years.

"Well, if you aren't willing to adopt her, there's nothing we really can say now." Ms. Charles finally said, standing up and looking over at them. Cuddy slowly looked over at House. House's eyebrows rose, his face contorting into a 'What?' expression. They must not had discussed that alternative with each other. Since they both seemed to have different opinions from their facial expressions. "I'll be off now. You two can talk it over." She said, starting to leave.

Cuddy looked at House distraughtly, watching him walk to the windows and stuff his hands in his pockets. "Wait!" Cuddy cried, jumping up and grabbing Ms. Charles' shoulder. She turned around expectantly. House even turned, raising an eyebrow. "Can...can you tell her? I need to know...I...I want her to know..." She asked with obscurity, blinking rapidly to stop any tears from coming out.

Ms. Charles smiled understatedly. "Of course I can." She said, nodding her head. "Do you want a hug?" Ms. Charles opened her arms. Usually people were emotional when it came to abandoned kids so Ms. Charles was use to hugging them. Cuddy hugged the orphanage lady, closing her eyes tightly. All Cuddy wanted was for Kara to know that they didn't give her up because they didn't love her. Ms. Charles finally pulled away. "I'll talk with Kara." She said, before rounding the corner. Kara wasn't going to take this very nonchalantly.

Cuddy turned around and looked over at House, her lips quivering ever so slightly. She slowly walked over to House, looking up into his blue eyes. "Why not?" She pleaded, already knowing his answer. It was always no. Unless it dealt with him having a good time or making fun of someone, then it was a yes. "If you are so sure of your opinion, then I'll do it alone. I don't care. I just want..."

"I didn't say no." House finally said, his brows furrowing together. He quickly interrupted her as she opened her mouth. "I didn't say yes either. I don't think we should rush into things just yet. Give her time at least." He added. She nodded dolefully, letting out a sigh. He was right. Kara probably was going to be in shock from the news. She was also sick with some mysterious illness that House and his team hadn't figured out yet so Cuddy shouldn't bother her with any more stress.

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Shock was far from Kara's expression when Ms. Charles said that her parents had just visited with her. Well, if shock did affect her, it was very slight. The first thing that happened was that Kara went quiet and her undivided attention zoomed straight on Ms. Charles. Then her eyes flashed, a scowl appeared, and her brows furrowed all in one motion. Skyler's eyes widened slightly at the news of Kara's parents but more at Kara's reaction. Ms. Charles seemed to be a bit flabbergasted as well at Kara. "Kara, sweetie, they..." She began slowly, trying to put on a jovial smile. She hadn't told Kara who her parents were yet.

"Why were they talking to you? How did they know I was here?" Kara asked heatedly, her cheeks flushing. She shook her head. "Never mind, I don't want to know." She added, staring hard at the farthest corner of her room. If looks could kill, the wall would have been melting off.

"Kara, they really do care. You know, most parents give their children up for adoption because they think it's the best choice for their children. They were probably in college and..." Ms. Charles began, trying to defend Cuddy and House. Kara shouldn't be infuriated. She should be happy.

"They should have been more conscientious. If not, they should have dealt with their mistake. It's the best thing because it teaches you. If you don't learn, you'll just do it over again. Another kid shouldn't have to go to an orphanage just because the parents wanted to have sex." She snapped crossly. "People shouldn't suffer because of their stupid mistakes." She added inaudibly.

"Kara, you haven't suffered one bit. You've grown up in a good orphanage, you have tons of..." Ms. Charles began again, frowning.

"Oh yeah. Like an orphanage is the best place to grow up then a regular home with parents who love you." Kara interrupted discordantly. "I just love watching other people get adopted. I just love watching the state's heath inspector come every month. Oh yeah. It's great." Cynicism dripped from every word that came out of her mouth.

Ms. Charles' looked down dejectedly. Kara was right. It was hard life being an orphan. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, sweetie." She finally said sadly, her voice just scarcely above a whisper. "They just wanted you to know that they love you and that they are thinking about you. Who knows, you might end up adopted. Or not, it depends on you, sweetheart." She got up.

"Wait!" Kara cried before Ms. Charles left the room, holding out her hand. Ms. Charles looked into Kara's eyes. She didn't see anything, which was kind of creepy. "I...I need to know. Who are they?"

Ms. Charles smiled. She knew curiosity would eventually lead Kara to wanting to know who her parents were. "Dr. Lisa Cuddy and Dr. Gregory House." She answered.

Kara blinked quietly before rage erupted across her face once more. "They're freaking doctors! They should know the consequences if..., This is unbelievable. Ignorant people." Kara began to shout. She looked up at Ms. Charles. "I want you to tell them that when they come into this room. They are professional. Not parental!" She told her seriously.

Ms. Charles stared at Kara in shock. Never in her life had any orphan acted like Kara before. Of course, there weren't many people like Kara in this world. "Okay. If that's what you want." Ms. Charles said mellifluously, turning forward and walking out of the room. She knew it was going to be hard. But her thoughts were an understatement.

Skyler slowly turned to Kara, opening her mouth to begin some sort of oration about being nice and about her being so boorish. "Don't even start, Skyler. Just...go away right now." Kara muttered, looking at Skyler.

Skyler frowned at Kara but stood up. "We'll talk about this later, Kara." She said over her shoulder, stepping out of the room.

"You sound like a parent!" Kara yelled at her.

Skyler turned, grinning. "Good! You'll be getting use to that soon!" She yelled back and disappearing out of sight. Kara shook her head, scowling before letting her gaze drop to her hands. She should be happy, but she wasn't happy with them and their decisions. But should she make them suffer? "Why am I still thinking about this!? They could go to...they could go to hell for all I care!" She said, trying to agree with herself. But inside, she felt something else.

Hope ya'll liked it! Now you see that purplish button down there! Push it and make my day! Three C's are loved!


	4. Confessions

Alright, I hope you was sooner than last time's update. In this chapter, Wilson's makes his appearance…finally. I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter! It has a bit of angst in here but it will all make sense when you read it all. I do not own anything from House M.D. All I own is Ms. Charles, Skyler, and Kara.

Chapter Four: Confessions

Ms. Charles walked down the hallway, hearing the voices of House and Cuddy. She turned the corner slowly, still seeing them in the same area, just standing up now. They were squabbling about something. Ms. Charles bet they were still conversing adoption. She cleared her throat vociferously, causing both of them to cease talking and turn to look. Cuddy was the first to redeem her equanimity. She stepped away from House promptly, walking forward to Ms. Charles. House followed silently, his eyes on the floor the whole time. "So?" Cuddy asked fervently, wringing her wrists.

Ms. Charles took a deep breath. "Well, Kara is a very strong willed child. She's unquestionably not the pardoning type." She began guardedly.

The eager expression just seem to slip right off of Cuddy's face. House looked up right then, glancing at Ms. Charles before staring at her with concern. "Oh, oh." She said, her hands flying to her mouth. "She hates us." Tears instantaneously began to leak out of Cuddy's eyes. "I can't blame her. I'd hate my parents if they sent me to an orphanage too." She sobbed.

House sighed and placed his cane against the wall, wrapping his arms around Cuddy. She turned and cried into his chest, probably getting mascara all over his shirt. House eyed Ms. Charles. "Boo." He stated, scowling at her. Ms. Charles blinked frowning. Now she undoubtedly knew where Kara's behavior came from. She turned and stalked off, walking to the elevator. He looked down at her and unhurriedly his hands began to drop ever so slightly.

"No." She mumbled into him, shaking her head. House frowned. How did she know that he was going straight for her butt? He reached up and patted her head brusquely. She finally pulled away from him, tired of the physical abuse. "You're not very compassionate."

House shrugged. "How long did it take you to find that out?" He asked instead, leaning and grabbing his cane. He threw it up in the air and caught it before limping off.

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Skyler sat with Ms. Charles in the cafeteria, munching on her sandwich leisurely. Ms. Charles would have to leave in a little while. Since it was Sunday, the kids at the orphanage didn't have to clean but they couldn't make a mess either. She would have to go and check up on them, cooking lunch for all of them. Ms. Charles was preaching to Skyler about obeying rules and not wandering off. Ordinarily Skyler always listened to her, but something else was on her mind. Kara's parents to be exact. They needed to know what had happened to make Kara like this. That and Dr. House still owed her the check up. It had been put on hiatus when Kara had fainted for no reason.

"Here's some money if you get hungry." Ms. Charles said finally, handing her a ten and a five. "Be good and please make Kara behave. She needs to get better soon." She added, smiling at Skyler. Skyler was a good influence on Kara.

"Thanks, Ms. Charles." Skyler muttered, taking the money and folding it. She placed it in her pocket and looked up at Ms. Charles tentatively.

Ms. Charles quirked an eyebrow at her. Something anomalous was happening around Skyler, but what it was, Ms. Charles could depict. It felt sort of familiar. Like all the times when Kara graced people with her presence. But, Skyler was a good child and she didn't think she would do something out of her character. "Alright then. Be a good girl and I'll be back at three thirty." She finished, getting up and scooting the chair in.

Skyler nodded. That left two hours and fifteen minutes in her possession. She waved Ms. Charles off before swiftly inhaling her food. She never thought Ms. Charles would leave.

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Skyler stood not to far from Dr. House's office, her face in her hands. What was she going to say? How could she explicate it to them? Hopefully, Kara's mother was in there as well. When Skyler had passed the clinic, she didn't see Dr. Cuddy in her office. Her eyes drifted down the hall where Kara's room resided. She wasn't sure which room it was but she would know when she saw her there. Maybe she shouldn't do this. Maybe she should just keep her nose clean and not betray Kara. Kara would undeniably disapprove of what Skyler was about to do. But they were Kara's parents, they had every right to know why Kara was like the way she is.

After a few more fights with her conscience, Skyler finally was able to acquiesce with herself that she was doing the right thing. She started forward confidently. It was appalling that for one moment someone could be so confident and the next moment, it drained out of you as if it didn't want to be there in the first place. Skyler was going through that right now as she paused in reaching for Dr. House's door. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping inside.

House was in there, throwing a large red and gray oversized tennis ball in the air. Regrettably, Cuddy was not in the office with him. Instead, another man was in there. They both turned to look at her, one with a flabbergasted look and the other with a mystified look. "Patients actually visit you?" The man asked incredulously, turning to look at House. Skyler got a good look at his name tag. Dr. James Wilson.

House sighed, scooting his chair towards the front of the desk. "I know. It's so exasperating." He answered, taking his cane and slamming it against Dr. Wilson's thigh. He yelped in pain. "Move." He said, bringing the cane back for a possible second blow. Wilson stood up and moved back. "You, sit." He pointed his cane at Skyler and patted the chair. Skyler obeyed calmly, slowly sitting on the chair. House looked up expectantly at Wilson.

"I'll leave you alone." Wilson said puzzled. He turned around, shaking his head and left the office. Skyler watched him quietly disappeared before turning to look at Dr. House. She blinked at she got the full glare of the penlight in her eyes.

"Oww." She murmured, bringing her hand to her right eye. She opened it and she could still see it. She pushed the penlight away gently as House tried again. "Hold on, please." She blinked hastily before finally looking over at him. "Okay, I'm ready now."

House rolled his eyes. Like he really needed her permission to start checking her up. The check up took less time than Skyler thought it should have. In about an guesstimate of two minutes, House was done. "You're fine. Whatever Kara has, you haven't caught it." He told her, rolling back to his side of the desk. He reached for his tennis ball, which he had put back in its spot when she had entered. "That means you leave now." He added. Skyler took a deep breath, readying herself physically and mentally for this. This was so unlike her. "You know, it isn't a big decision. You just get up and walk out. It's simple."

"I need to talk to you about Kara." Skyler told him, her voice wavering.

His contemptuous manner seem to fade ever so slightly, the curiosity sparking in his cold eyes. "I suppose you want Cuddy in here as well?" He asked instead, trying to be apathetic about the whole situation. Skyler nodded.

Cuddy walked into House's office, spotting Skyler almost immediately. She was sitting in the chair opposite of House, looking quite remorseful. "What's wrong? You said it was an emergency?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. House looked up at her blasé, catching the ball and setting it down on his desk.

"It's about Kara." House said quietly, nodding to the other chair that had been pulled up.

Cuddy closed the door and sat in the seat cautiously, looking over at Skyler. Skyler smiled wryly before taking another big breath. She had been doing that lately. "First off, I'm sure you know that characteristics can't be hereditary." She started. They both nodded slightly. "And because of that, I should inform you of how Kara got like that. Unless you don't, then I'll leave." She gave them both transitory glances. A part of her wanted them to say no, just so she could stop doing this. It felt wrong. She hadn't passed it by Kara and knowing her she would disapprove. She felt like she was betraying her. But, another part wanted them to say yes. They were her parents. Abandonment or not, they deserved to know what exactly happened to their daughter and why she was like the way she is.

Cuddy glanced at House. His eyes met hers and in them was a yes. "Continue, please." She urged Skyler.

Skyler nodded, her bangs falling in front of her ocher eyes. "Kara was a pretty quiet kid for her first probably ten years. It was visiting day where potential parents come by the orphanage and look at all the kids. Well, this one couple was interested in Kara. Anyway, the day moved on and they were about to adopt Kara when they saw another child. They fell in love with the other girl and didn't adopt Kara. Kara questioned them about it and the parents said something to her. She has never to this day told me what they had said to her but whatever it was, it was cruel. Then after that, bad luck just seemed to happen to Kara. People wanted her and then didn't want her. This happened over and over and over again. Those encounters just seemed to kill Kara inside." She paused, looking up at the parents, wondering if she could continue. Tears were slowly cascading down Cuddy's face and she sniffled quietly. House just seemed to be in a state of trance. "I never really understood how deeply it hurt her to feel like she was wanted and then have that taken away from her as quickly as it came until one night. I had woken up to some crying. It was Kara and she was on her bed, curled up in a little ball. I went over to see what was the matter and saw blood. She had stabbed herself on the shoulder. She was attempting suicide because she felt like she shouldn't be on the earth. Nobody wanted her, there was always someone better than her. From that moment on, she truly changed. We both made a pact to stay together through it all. I never told Ms. Charles that Kara tried to kill herself. Kara doesn't need therapy or pity. She just needs someone to be there. Someone to care about her and not shirk away." She finished, looking over at them both.

"That's so sad." Cuddy mumbled, searching around for a tissue box.

"But don't tell her I told you that. That's a secret. I'm not really sure if I was suppose to tell you that. But I thought you should know. Kara had it hard back in the orphanage. No one tried to adopt me, but I was always naturally optimistic. It wasn't even until that night that reality began to hit. The chances of a thirteen year old orphan getting adopted is less than if an orphan is under the age of ten." Skyler added, looking a bit panicky.

"Your secret is safe with us." House said, watching Cuddy with a slight sickened look. She wasn't the most attractive thing when her makeup was running as well as her nose.

Skyler nodded and went away off towards Kara's room. Cuddy looked up at House. "Oh, House! This is horrible! Instead of giving our daughter another chance of a life, we destroyed it! No wonder she hates everything and everyone!" Cuddy cried in dismay. "This is all our fault."

"It's not our fault. We can't predict the future. We had no idea this was going to happen. I'm sure if we did..." He paused, thinking back. There wasn't a whole lot of options when Kara had come along. Neither one of them wanted their parents knowing about it. "I'm sure if we did we would have gone a different route." He said, looking towards the door. He always felt uncomfortable in these types of situations though he made sure he never showed it. Sometimes he just want to envelop Cuddy in a hug that she deserved. But, he couldn't. They weren't girlfriend and boyfriend anymore. To him, she was basically untouchable. Cuddy nodded and dipped her head down, taking a shaky breath. This was all too much for one day. She slowly got up. "Where you going?"

Cuddy turned to House. "Out. Just out." She said, holding the door open.

House watched her for a moment, his eyes lingering on her body. "Okay." He murmured, grabbing his ball. He watched her leave and put the ball back in its original spot. He leaned back, putting his feet on his desk, and closed his eyes.

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Skyler entered Kara's room inaudibly, noticing that she had fallen asleep. Her food was laying beside her, untouched. Skyler plopped down in the chair beside her best friend and watched her. Suddenly, Kara's eyes flickered open and she slowly turned her head, raising an eyebrow at her. "Feeling any better?" Skyler asked optimistically.

"No, I feel like crap." Kara answered somberly, glaring at her food. "What did you do?" She asked instead, turning to look at Skyler with her puzzling eyes.

Skyler's eyebrows shot up. She had been caught off guard. "What...what do you mean?" She asked, trying to act innocent and stupid.

"Don't give me that! I'm your best friend, Skyler. I can tell that something is bothering you." Kara chided her, scowling.

Skyler smiled shamefacedly. "Kara...I...I told them." Skyler finally said, tearing up. "I'm sorry! I would never betray you! I just thought they should know!" Skyler hiccupped frenetically.

Kara blinked and let her gaze drop to her hands. Was she infuriated? No. "It's okay, Skyler. You're my best friend. No matter what harm you could do, I will always forgive you. I mean, if I loose my only friend, I might go mad and starting killing people randomly!" She said, trying to make a joke. But Kara didn't feel like laughing and neither did Skyler.

"Will you give them a chance?" Skyler asked, giving Kara a beseeching look. "They're nice enough."

Kara frowned with disapproval. "Maybe." She finally muttered, crossing her arms. "Now, go steal me some food. This hospital food tastes like..."

"Kara!" Skyler yelled boisterously. Kara rolled her eyes. Kara sometimes wondered if Skyler was Ms. Charles' daughter. That would explain them both monitoring her words! Skyler got up, digging in her pocket for the ten dollar bill. "Okay, what do you want? I heard they have anything you can think of." Skyler asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Kara shrugged sluggishly. "A cheeseburger sounds good." She offered.

Skyler frowned censoriously. "You have to pick one of the most unhealthiest items at the hospital." She chided, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, kind of ironic really. Anyway, go!" Kara barked, narrowing her eyes, seeming to be mad.

"Yes, Master." She told her, turning around and walking robotically out of the room. Kara just rolled her eyes, scoffing at her friend's bizarre behavior. Slowly, she lapsed into silence, staring solemnly at the door. So now they knew about her faults. A part of her was livid with Skyler but another part was pleased that Skyler told them. The only person she had shared it with was Skyler, and she felt ridiculous afterwards for doing it. She even missed for God's sake. What kind of loser did that? She closed her eyes, trying to stop all the negative thoughts. She wished they would stop. But, how could she stop if she had already trained herself to do that?

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	5. Is This Caring?

Thanks for all the reviews! They make me feel so special. Keep them coming and I'll keep updating! I luff them! Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House M.D.

Chapter Five: Is this caring?

House frowned at the whiteboard, glaring at the symptoms. There wasn't many to begin with. It sounded like simple Influenza, but he could be erroneous. Usually he wouldn't care and just make his ducklings give the patient the meds for Influenza. But, Kara was something more. She was his daughter, his flesh and blood, the fruit of his loins. He wanted to make sure he had this right. The worst thing that could happen is killing his daughter for a hypothetical illness that she didn't have. He let out a big sigh, plopping down in the closest chair. He closed his eyes and rubbed them, making his brain think.

Abruptly, the door opened. He turned his head, surprised to see Cuddy stand in the doorway. She usually came to see him to snap at him for trying to ditch clinic duty, or protest at him for being "mean" to a patient or their loved one, but this time it was different. "Have you found out anything yet?" She asked civilly, strolling in unceremoniously.

"No. She hasn't had enough symptoms to diagnose her with some illness. Honestly, the fatigue seems like Influenza to me." House said jadedly, getting up and staring hard at the board. The word 'fatigue' stared back at him, mocking him for his feeble attempts of trying to come up with a diagnosis.

"Oh." Was Cuddy's reply. House knew that Cuddy probably wanted Kara in a healthy condition. She was their daughter, didn't every parent want their child to be healthy? She pulled a strained smile on her face and looked him in the eyes. "I saw her through the window. She looked relatively happy at the moment. I guess she refused to eat the hospital food since she's eating a cheeseburger at the moment." Cuddy added for some reason. House guessed it was just something to converse about.

"Okay." House complied. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Cuddy. He was just...tired at the moment. It was all really too much for one day. "Well, I'm going to go, uh, bother Wilson." He muttered, passing Cuddy quickly. Cuddy watched him baffled. What was wrong with him?

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Kara chomped down on her cheeseburger. She hadn't had one of those in about five years. Usually, it was either macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, or some kind of cheap lunch for everyone at the orphanage. She grabbed her drink voraciously, slurping it down. "You could say that you appreciate me for bringing this to you." Skyler told Kara, frowning at her friend's lack of manners.

Kara looked at her as if she was crazy. "Me? Appreciate? Never." She scoffed, shaking her head. She brought the cup back to her lips. Unexpectedly, her hand twitched, causing the drink to spill all over the bed. Skyler couldn't help but laugh. It served Kara right to be uncomfortable and not having a drink. Kara, on the other hand, stared at her hand in terror. It was twitching again! The next twitch made her leg move. And then her shoulder as well.

Skyler, realizing something was wrong, stopped laughing. "Kara?" She asked guardedly. Maybe it was just a prank to make Skyler feel awful? "That isn't funny."

Kara turned her eyes on Skyler. "I'm not being funny. I can't control it! I don't know what's happening!" She shrieked, her voice getting higher with anxiety. Skyler's eyes widened. Perspiration was forming on Kara's skin and she was already trembling with the uncontrollable twitching. Her hands flew to her chest. "My chest hurts! I think, I think I'm having a heart attack!" She cried, beginning to hyperventilate.

Skyler's eyebrows shot up and she looked desperately out the door. "Somebody help!" She screamed. She looked back frenetically at Kara. The door open and about three nurses rushed in, followed by Dr. Foreman.

"She's having a panic attack!" He said, rushing over to Kara's side. He grabbed Kara's hands from her chest and sat on her bed, forcing Kara to look straight at him. "Kara, listen to me. You're going to be okay." He began steadfastly and slowly.

"I'm dying!" She managed to sputter out. Now she was reaching for her throat, sounding as if she was choking.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" Skyler asked piercingly.

Dr. Foreman looked at her skeptically. "Her body is going through a panic attack. Nothing really is happening to her. If she calms down, she'll be fine." He answered, looking up as the door opened yet again. House stood in the doorway, looking very apprehensive, which made Foreman do a double take.

He limped towards the bed, turning Kara's head to him. "We just injected you with something that is going to calm you down, you hear that? We just fixed you." House lied. Skyler watched Kara look at him before slowly began to calm down. Her heart monitor turned to normal, her breathing regulated, and she collapsed back on her bed, her eyelids drooping down before they were completely closed. House straightened, watching Kara attentively for only a moment more before glancing at Foreman, who was staring at him mystified.

Skyler watched the two men before breaking the uncanny silence. "What does the panic attacks mean?" She asked raucously, looking anxiously at the now passed out Kara.

House turned his head and stared at Skyler. "It means she has another symptom." He sighed, looking down at her affectionately. Foreman quirked an eyebrow at House. He was acting very outlandish. House noticed this and scowled at Foreman before turning swiftly out of the room.

Foreman smiled at Skyler reassuringly before heading out after House. Skyler scooted her chair even closer to Kara's bed, patting her friend's hand. "It'll be okay, Kara. They'll figure out what's wrong with you. I know it." Skyler said to her. But, Kara wasn't the one that needed reassuring at the moment. Skyler was the one.

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Kara's eyes fluttered open gradually, her eyes dilating quickly in the dark room. The light from the hallway was coming in from the door but other than that, there was nothing else. Skyler was gone. Kara didn't expect Ms. Charles to let her stay all night. Kara would have closed her eyes again but something on the chair seemed to catch her eye. It was a coat. Not just any coat, but a black blazer. The same black blazer that Dr. House was wearing earlier that day when she had kicked his cane. Kara frowned slightly. Regardless of her telling them to act professional, they sat with her when she was passed out?

The frown slowly slid off of her face. Something else was happening. A warm, vivacious feeling was washing over her and making her feel actually giddy. The feeling was kind of familiar. She closed her eyes, letting the feeling warm up all her body. She didn't get far with falling asleep because as soon as she closed her eyes the door opened.

"I feel guilty leaving her all alone." Cuddy's voice echoed in the empty room. There was movement beside Kara's bed. Kara decided on her only two options, which were glaring at them for barging in or pretending to still be asleep, before deciding on the latter of the options.

"She doesn't want to find us in her room being 'parental' remember?" House reminded Cuddy, grabbing his jacket and slipping it on. He popped in two Vicodins before staring down at Kara. She look quite peaceful. Her brown hair was splayed around her face like some sort of natural halo and her face displayed serenity.

"She's more beautiful then I remember." Cuddy murmured quietly, also watching Kara with an affectionate expression. Kara was very aware that they were staring at her. She was use to pretending to be asleep so she knew she wouldn't cause any suspicion. Cuddy reached down and curled one loose strand of Kara's brown hair around her ear. Kara fought to contain herself. At first, Kara wanted to recoil from the unfamiliar touch. But it was full of affection and care.

"Careful." House warned. If Kara woke up, there was no idea of what she might do. Cuddy slowly withdrew her hair, stepping a step back to refrain herself from doing something else. "Let's go." House touched Cuddy's shoulder tenderly. Cuddy nodded and turned to walk out but turned back after a moment's hesitation. In one swift motion, Cuddy kissed Kara's forehead very lightly. She straightened and quickly left the room. House knew it was so she didn't start crying again.

House stood in the room awkwardly, unsure of exactly how he should leave. "Night, kiddo." He whispered, putting his arms on either side of Kara for support before also kissing her forehead. Then he took his leave. Kara's eyes snapped open and she sat up, feeling her forehead. The two spots seem to stand out then any other spot on her forehead. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Whatever feeling this was, whatever had just happened, Kara liked it.

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"So far, so good." House muttered to himself as he surreptitiously made his way towards his office. So far it seemed as if no one had noticed him come into the hospital. At first, it annoyed him slightly because he couldn't do his daily morning remarks but then it was better this way. They might actually believe that he was gone all day and then that might lead to no clinic duty. But, as soon as he turned the corner, his thoughts were outlived. Cuddy was hiding behind a pillar, spying in on Kara. Normally, he really wouldn't have cared what Cuddy was doing. He'd just make his sarcastic remark and then go on about his business. But this was about Kara. He sighed and went the long way, coming up behind Cuddy. "Stalker." He whispered.

She turned around and frowned at him. "And you're always a pervert." She retorted quickly.

He sucked in air. "Good one." He said, looking into Kara' room as well. Kara was laughing while Skyler was grinning like mad. Both of them were vividly animated, which was a good thing. At least she didn't seem like she was suffering. "She's scheduled for an MRI in about fifteen minutes."

"Have you any idea what's wrong with her?" She asked, turning to look up at him.

He puffed out his cheeks. "Well, panic attacks could be contained in a Panic Disorder. We have diazepam at the ready for her..." He began, remembering what they had put her on last.

"But that could lead to an abuse!" Cuddy started vehemently.

"We took that in to consideration. If worse comes to worse, we'll put her on for CBT." House reassured her.

Cuddy's eyebrows shot up. "Congnitive Behavioral Therapy? (a/n: It's spelled right!) You think it could be that bad? Sorry, what else have you come up with." She said, scolding herself for interrupting. She should listen to everything before putting her two cents in.

"Well, we looked into the muscle twitching and all we could think of is Benign Fasciculation Syndrome. It explains the exhaustion, the muscle twitching, and the panic attacks since it increases a person's anxiety level. We also thought about a Magnesium deficiency so we have her on a special diet that increases the magnesium in her body." House finished pompously, watching as she picked up a banana that had been on the hospital tray. That was rich in magnesium. The corners of his lips tugged upwards.

Cuddy nodded. They seemed to have everything under control. The MRI was to check her brain. There was that small factor that the muscle twitching was could be a neurological problem. "I have to say, you're doing quite well." She said, leaning against the pillar.

House quirked an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean, I'm doing quite well?" He asked puzzled. A slight scowl graced his lips. He suddenly became very conscious of exactly how close House and Cuddy were.

"You know, what I mean. You're being careful and covering all of your bases...the safe way." She answered bashfully, also aware of how close they were. House made a face and she laughed. House realized how much he missed that laugh. It brought back memories. Suddenly, a cough brought them out of their dream state. House turned his glare on the intruder.

The nurse took a step back and pointed towards Kara's room. They both looked over and gasped. Kara was screaming in pain and holding her left calf. Cuddy dashed into the room, followed by House. "My leg! It's on fire! Make it stop!" She shrieked, tears streaking down her face.

House glanced over at Cuddy. She was already calling in for some Methadone. "What about your big toe? How's it like?" House asked.

Cuddy turned to him. "Why are you asking her that pointless question?" She asked hysterically.

"It's numb." Kara yelled at him, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed and looked up at Cuddy and the arriving nurses with the Methadone. "She has a L5 radiculitis." He sighed. Cuddy looked down at Kara before looking up at House. She nodded to the nurse with the Methadone and sighed forcefully. "There goes magnesium deficiency and BFS." He added.

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Kara woke up again the next night. Her leg wasn't hurting at all, which was a good thing. It felt as if it was on fire. She sighed and sat up, going towards the food in front of her. A snort made her abruptly aware of someone else in her room. She turned to her right and blinked quietly. House was sprawled out on the chair, his feet propped up on her bed, his cane leaned against the side of the chair. Kara suddenly lost her appetite. What was he doing sitting in her hospital room with her? Why did he care so much? He was her father but he didn't need to spend the night with her. He shifted slightly in his sleep. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Very slowly and very carefully, she crawled onto his lap, making sure she didn't knee him in the groin or put too much pressure on his bum leg. To tell the truth, all this hospital stuff scared her. She didn't like to be alone. She pressed her face against his chest, getting a good whiff of him. It wasn't a horrible smell. It was a nice smell. She bit her lip but a small sob escaped. Tears streamed down her face again, but this time it wasn't in pain. She wasn't really sure what they were. They were just tears but she knew they were good tears. She closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully.

Okay, there's an awww moment for ya'll! Please review and I love the three C's!


	6. The Name is Chase, Robert Chase

This is kind of a fun chapter! I hope ya'll enjoy it! Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is related to House M.D. If I did, I would be making money off of it but sadly, I'm not. cries

Chapter Six: "The name's Chase. Robert Chase."

Cuddy promenaded into the hospital with a certain air around her. Usually she went straight for her office or for some coffee, but this time her first destination was Kara's room. So far, as long as Kara was in the hospital, Cuddy almost certainly wouldn't be able to get any sleep. Every time her eyes closed, pictures of Kara dying and needing her help flashed into her mind, making her wake up distressed. She nodded to the nurse and entered the room, stopping to stare at the vacant bed. The thoughts of her running away immediately swept through her mind and she turned to the door, ready to alert every policeman, every hospital, every person in the entire world when suddenly, she spotted House's head. "House?" She asked, stepping forward.

A vociferous grunt answered her which told her he was still sleeping. She couldn't help but smile. House had stayed the entire night in Kara's room, regardless of her wishes. She walked around to chair, going to wake him up but froze at the shocking sight. Kara was curled up against House, one hand clutching his gray coat tightly and the other wrapped around his waist. She seemed to be at ease. Cuddy's eyes watered at this heartfelt sight. Slowly, she poked House's shoulder carefully. He grunted indolently and his eyes flickered open. Cuddy took a sharp intake of breath, noticing that Kara had shifted. House glanced down at the pressure on his lap and his eyebrows rocketed upwards. House looked up at Cuddy as she was mouthing something to him. "Did you know?" She had mouthed.

"No." He mouthed back, shaking his head. For a moment, House sat there inaudibly, watching the regulated breathing of Kara as Cuddy looked down dotingly at them. "Should we wake her?" He whispered huskily. Lip reading was harder than it looked, particularly when someone just woke up.

"Of course not. She might get embarrassed or something." Cuddy whispered back, biting her lip. She was a bit envious. House nodded and grabbed her underneath her arms. "What are you...?" She began, but House had already stood up, placing her on her bed. He went to stand up but was stopped as his coat was still clenched in her fist. "Careful!" She hissed at him as he wrenched his jacket from her fist.

There was a moment of silence as they waited for Kara to wake up and start yelling but she never did. "She must be deep asleep." House said, smoothing his jacket.

Cuddy nodded and looked at House, her nose wrinkling slightly. "Go home, take a shower, and get dressed into some fresh clothes, then come back to work, got it?" She ordered, stepping away from him.

He scowled and smelled himself. "I don't smell bad. But I'll take the time off anyway." He told her with a shrug. He picked up his cane and looked over at Cuddy. "Whenever you want." He said softly.

She turned to him, confused. "What's that suppose to mean?" She asked. Sometimes, House made no sense.

He smirked. "I'm ready now and I think she is too." He added, not explaining himself.

Cuddy frowned, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes suddenly widened as she understood what he was talking about. "Really? Oh, Greg!" She whispered shrilly, hugging House tightly. She could stand his bodily odor just this once.

House blinked before slowly wrapping his hands around Cuddy. He put his chin on top of Cuddy's head and closed his eyes, bringing back many memories. All too soon enough, they parted looking at each other apathetically. He nodded and headed out of the room, followed by Cuddy.

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"You should have seen him. It was like he truly cared about her well being." Foreman said, looking over at Chase and Cameron. All three of them had noticed House's weird fascination of the newest patient. Not that he didn't have a fascination of weird cases like this but this fascination was about the patient as well.

"Do you think Cuddy has anything to do with it?" Chase asked, raising his eyebrows. It was probable that Cuddy had threatened House with something that would have to make him act like he was. It probably something to the fact of clinic hours or Vicodin.

"No, she seems to be acting strange too." Cameron answered, shaking her head. She had spotted Cuddy staring in at their new patient. "Wilson might know." She offered.

Foreman shook his head. "He was the first person I asked after House's bizarre behavior. He said he had no clue but he had noticed something was going on between both of them." Foreman sighed, staring down at the whiteboard. House hadn't even been asking them what they thought then calling them idiots afterwards. He was the one who was doing all the guessing and preparations. "You know how House gives patients weird names sometimes. I wonder..." He trailed off, looking at Chase and Cameron.

"You wonder if he'll do anything if we say her name wrong." Cameron finished. Foreman nodded. It wasn't a bad idea.

"It probably wouldn't hurt." Chase added, nodding his head. If House corrected them, something was definitely going on. If he didn't, well they would come to that when they reached it. They waited for about an accumulated of thirty minutes before House finally showed. He was moving around like he was stiff and his hair was still wet. House headed immediately for the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup.

"You look like you just came out of the shower." Cameron told him, staring at the many wet stains on the back of his shirt as he scratched his back.

He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "I did." He said honestly, looking at the whiteboard. He frowned slightly, his brows furrowing. "So, what can we put together now?" He asked out loud, but not directly at the three.

"It would help if we had...Katy's medical records." Chase said, remembering what they had agreed on.

House jerked around. "Her name's Kara." He snapped, glaring at them above his coffee cup. He had not given them her medical records for the fact that he really didn't want his ducklings finding out that Kara was his child. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by it. They just really didn't need to know. He watched them inquiringly as each of them glanced at each other with surprised looks. They had planned this.

"House, what's the deal?" Cameron finally asked, sensing how the other two didn't want to ask the unasked question.

House frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked guardedly. What were they up to? Usually he could tell what they were doing or what they wanted. But this time, they were completely off their territories.

Foreman sighed. "You know the patient. You seem to actually care a great deal about this patient. You're even taking safety precautions. House, you never take safety precautions. Something's up." Foreman told him, looking bravely at House. House frowned. So, he was being duped by the ducklings. He had to admit, he would never have thought that they would have been able to accomplish something like this. And he intended to keep it that way too.

"There's nothing going on, except for the fact that our patient could be dying from a mysterious illness that we have yet to come up with and the state is looking in on us since she's an orphan." House lied, turning back to the whiteboard. "Is it wrong to care?" He asked rhetorically before clearing his throat. "I want an LP done before she has another radiculits somewhere in her body." He turned and limped out of the conference room, leaving his ducklings sitting in their chairs, thunderstruck.

Chase was the one to break the silence. "He's lying, I know it." He said, letting out a big breath.

Foreman rolled his eyes and stood up. "He's always lying. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out." Foreman told him, rolling up his sleeves. Cameron smiled feebly before looking over at Chase sympathetically. "Now, let's go do that LP."

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Kara couldn't remember ever being in a hospital for so long. This was probably the fourth day at this hospital and she had only been in a hospital around two hours when a clinic had been backed up. She sighed as Dr. Chase pushed her into the MRI room. She was supposed to have one yesterday but the pain in her calf prevented her from doing one. Dr. Chase smiled at Kara reassuringly. "Now, it's pretty simple. Just lie there and let the machine do its job. Might I interest you in the ocean?" He asked, pointing to the opposite wall. Kara glanced over, seeing the ocean displayed on the wall. Fishes swam contentedly underneath the surface and she even saw the seaweed sway in the current. Kara smiled dryly. "Keep it there?"

She nodded quietly, watching him hook something on her finger. He pushed a button, which made her start going into the MRI machine. Dr. Chase exited the room quickly after that. Kara laid there quietly, not really looking at the screen. Every now and then she did, but she wasn't really interested in ocean life. She let her mind wandered aimlessly. She probably could have fallen asleep if only it weren't for the horrible noises that came from the machine. The MRI seemed to take forever. Finally, after about an hour, which in reality was only fifteen to twenty minutes, the machine turned off and Dr. Chase pushed the button, letting Kara slid out of the machine. The wall was back to its dull, white color.

"So, find anything interesting?" Kara asked, watching him unhook her from something or other.

Dr. Chase glanced at Kara, smiling lightly. "Your MRI is clean." He began, pushing Kara out of the room and towards her own room. "But,"

"That means you don't know what's wrong with me. So you're back on square one again?" Kara finished, looking up at him eloquently.

"Sort of." Chase answered, putting her in her room. "You are going to have to lie down on your side." He said. Kara did as she was told, feeling him open up the hospital gown. She turned her head questioningly, her eyes seeming to change into a darker color. "It's for the test." He assured her, cheeks flushing ever so slightly. She gave him a suspicious look before turning back. He swabbed her back. "Now, this is going to hurt a bit." He warned her, holding the needle.

Kara nodded, closing her eyes. "Ow." She whispered, grabbing the blanket of the bed. She kept her cling to the bed until the test was over.

"Alright, I'm all done." He told her, helping her lay down carefully. "Do you want anything?" He asked.

Kara frowned. "I feel...nauseated." She murmured, her face twisting sickly. He frowned. Suddenly, vomit spurted out of her mouth and nose. Chase grimaced, trying not to stare at today's breakfast. "I feel better." She said, wiping her mouth on the blanket. Chase nodded and turned to fetch the poor soul who was going to clean that mess up.

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"Well, the tests are clear but she felt nauseated after the LP." Chase said, entering the conference room. House looked up from sipping his expresso. Cameron and Foreman were also in the room. Chase paused uncertainly, wondering why all three of them were in there at the same time. Were they starting a mutiny or something?

House frowned. "Did she have vertigo right before it?" He asked, grabbing his black marker.

Chase shook his head. "Not that I know of. She just said she was nauseated and then spewed her breakfast all over the bed." Chase answered, collapsing in his chair. Cameron wrinkled her nose in disgust. House wrote down 'Vomiting' on the board with the other collection of symptoms that didn't let up. All of them knew that if she didn't have vertigo, that couldn't be the lead to any balance disorders.

House glared silently at the board. To tell the truth, he didn't even have a simple clue of what she could have. Everything seemed to contradict each other. He let out a sigh and looked at his watch, smiling lightly to himself. "Anyway, I got to go. Watch her carefully and maybe we'll figure out this bugger." House said, starting to limp out the door.

"You sound as if you have an appointment." Cameron told him, frowning.

He turned, glancing at them. "Actually, I do." And with that, he walked away, leaving all three of them looking at each other questioningly.

Cameron leaned in slowly, looking at Chase and Foreman. They, too, leaned in. "Why do I think he really doesn't have an appointment and that Cuddy and him are hiding something from us?" She asked, pursing her lips.

"Because they are. You know House use to be really good at keeping stuff away from us. But this time, he sucks." Foreman answered.

Chase nodded. "Yeah. So, what now?" He asked, smiling cheekily at the other two.

Foreman and Cameron looked at each other before glancing at Chase. "You're the one who gets to follow House." Foreman said, smirking slightly.

"Good luck, 007." Cameron teased, slapping his shoulder before Foreman and her quickly took their exit. Chase was left sitting dumbly on his chair, his mouth slightly agape at the position that his colleagues put him in. Follow House? He'd rather cut his own hand off! Well, maybe not. It would be interesting to find out what exactly was the deal with House. He sighed and stood up, turning in the direction House had went. He couldn't have gotten far. He probably was at his office, collecting his backpack or something.

Chase followed House silently as he limped down the hall, completely unaware of Chase. Of course he would, Chase was about twenty feet away! Chase watched him enter Cuddy's office. He couldn't help but frown. It was going to be hard to listen on them now. He started over there, building up as much courage as he needed. A hand grasping at his shoulder made him stop. He turned to Wilson. "Hey Wilson." He said coolly.

"Hey, have you seen House?" He asked, frowning slightly. Chase guessed it was something to do with Wilson's lunch. Chase wondered slightly if he should tell him that he was following House and planning to eavesdrop on Cuddy and him.

"Not necessarily." He started slowly, itching to head over there. They could be finished for all he knew!

"What do you mean, not necessarily?" Wilson asked, furrowing his brows. "What's going on?" Chase was acting differently then he ever had. Something wasn't right here.

"The name's Chase. Robert Chase." Chase answered, mocking James Bond.

Wilson's eyebrow rose. "So you're spying on him? Well, go on. Tell me if you hear anything good." He chuckled, shaking his head. Spying on House was nearly impossible. House always had this freakish talent of knowing things. It wasn't normal. Then again, House wasn't normal.

Chase nodded and slipped into the first room quietly. The sectary (a/n: I don't know if it's called something else. If you know, tell me and I'll fix it!) wasn't at her desk which gave Chase the advantage of listening in! He did a silent cheer before crouching down beside the doorway, slipping his fingers underneath the door and opening it up just a tiny bit.

"Are you positive that she's had enough time? Maybe we should wait just a little more. I mean, you don't even have a clue of what she has." Cuddy was saying apprehensively. Were they talking about their patient, Kara? The sound of her high heels made it clear that she was pacing.

"Didn't you see her this morning? She must be ready." House told her, crossing his arms.

Cuddy let out a sigh. "Alright, I'll talk with Ms. Charles tomorrow. Today's visiting day at the orphanage. So she can't show up today." She sighed, smiling up at House slightly. "What about the whole not married situation?"

House shrugged. "We'll come to that when we get to it." He answered minimally, leaning on his cane slightly.

Cuddy frowned. "Why do you have your stuff with you?" She asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's only one."

"Lunch break." House told her, patting his stomach loudly. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Hey, a growing boy has to eat." He defended.

"You're not growing." She chided, nodding her head in approval.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased, turning around and heading for the door. He paused ever so slightly, shaking his head.

"What?" Cuddy asked, bewildered.

"Nothing." He answered. Chase slipped his fingers out underneath the door and crawled around the desk to get out of sight. House went through the door, sighing loudly. "You know, stalking is a federal offense." He said, leaning over the desk.

Chase slowly got up, flushing violently. "I wasn't stalking." He muttered, avoiding his boss' eyes.

"Uh-huh." House nodded. "If you want to know what's going on, all you have to do is ask."

Chase raised his eyebrows. "Okay. What's going on?" He asked, frowning ever so slightly. This was too easy. What was House up too?

"Mind your own damn business." House answered, slamming his cane into Chase's thigh. He straightened and walked out, leaving Chase rubbing his new injury behind. House limped up beside Wilson, who was at the counter, finishing a file for his patient. "Chase stalks me."

Wilson nodded, not even looking up. "You stalk people too." He told him, closing the file and handing it to the nurse.

"But that's different." House whined.

"How so?" Wilson asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"Because I do it just to annoy the hell out of people. Lunch?" House answered, shrugging slightly. Wilson rolled his eyes but nodded.

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House limped his way into Kara's room. She looked up from her food, which happened to be a salad from McDonald's. "I know you're not just checking up on me because you're being medical." Kara told him, placing her fork down. She looked up at him expectantly. House's eyes widened only slightly. "I'll make an exception for this time though." She told him, picking up her drink.

"Thank God, I'm so relieved." House told her, sitting down on the side of her bed. "Where'd you get the Mickey D's salad?"

Kara shrugged. "I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was here." She told him, offering him a piece of chicken. He declined. "So, what's so important that you need to break my wishes?"

"Well, you know my ducklings." He began, looking outside to make sure none of them were listening in. Kara's face contorted into confusion. "Chase, Cameron, and Foreman." Kara nodded, remembering them. "They're getting nosey and wanting to know why I'm so interested in caring for you."

Kara frowned. She hated nosey people. "And you want me to be quiet when they interrogate me, right?" She asked. House nodded. "Don't worry. I get it. My lips are sealed." She said, grabbing her water and taking a sip.

"You sure? I mean, it's not like I'm ashamed of you or anything. It's just it would be much better if they didn't find out." He said, worried that Kara might get a little hurt.

She looked up at him with those loveable blue eyes that appeared when she was in a good mood. "I told you. I understand exactly why you don't want me to tell them. It's fine." She assured him for the last time, frowning at her table. House nodded and handed her the remote, which she was trying to reach for. She smiled lightly at him before turning on the TV. House turned and walked out of her room, humming McDonald's song.

Alright, please review! The three C's are appreciated.


	7. Cameron's Discovery

Thanks for all your reviews! This update is a whole lot quicker but, I think, a little shorter. The next few updates should be quick. Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House! I only own Kara, Skyler, Ms. Charles, and the lovely plot! Please enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Cameron's Discovery

Kara yawned, looking up tediously at the TV screen. There was a movie on about two people who hate each other and then end up falling in love, which was very clichéd to begin with. She didn't really know why she was watching it. Actually, she did. It was to pass time since Skyler wasn't going to be here for the whole entire day which left her to do nothing. She glanced at her machines and frowned at her lunch which she hadn't finished. She wished she wasn't sick. Why couldn't she be at the orphanage? But that would lead to more visiting days. She hated those days for obvious reasons. At least her muscle twitching had stopped and she didn't have any pain in her legs or anything. Maybe she was getting better?

The door slid open to Dr. Cameron. Kara turned her eyes back to the television. She walked in there leisurely, smiling down at Kara gently for a few minutes. Kara finally tore her gaze off the repulsing movie and on Dr. Cameron. "Can I help you with something?" She asked arrogantly, glaring frostily at the woman.

Cameron raised her eyebrows, startled with the girl's manners. "Oh, I've come to ask you a few questions." She said slowly, sitting in the chair next to her. She placed her hands in her lap and smiled reassuringly at Kara.

"Medical or not medical?" Kara asked, frowning slightly at Cameron. House had warned her about his nosy ducklings and how they like to know everything about anything.

Cameron took a minute to recover from the questions. "Um, not medical." She offered weakly.

"Forget about it." Kara told her hastily, crossing her arms.

Cameron pursed her lips. "Why not? It's only a few questions." She said heatedly, crossing her arms, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Because I hate you, that's why." Kara snapped mordantly, rolling her eyes and starting to turn the noise up on the TV.

"You remind me of House!" She spat, turning to go out. She suddenly froze, turning back to face Kara. Kara was staring at Cameron also surprised. She looked at Kara suspiciously, taking up all of her characteristics. Brown hair, piercing blue eyes, the familiar scowl, the familiar stare that screamed that Kara disliked her. "Oh my God." Cameron whispered, collapsing in the chair with her hands covering her mouth. "No wonder you look so familiar! You're...Are you related to House?" She asked incredulously.

Kara laughed. "That's rich. If I was related to that idiot, I'd..." She paused, unsure of what to say. "I'd be sitting here drooling and saying 'Uhhh'." She finished, looking up at Cameron cautiously. Cameron was still staring at her curiously. "Now, if you're done with stupid guessing, could you leave. I'm trying to watch this movie." She glared at the TV. Cameron slowly turned back to the door and left the room. Kara looked back at the door nervously. House had told her that he really didn't want his ducklings knowing about Kara and him being father and daughter. It wasn't that he was ashamed, he had said, but it could be some how bad if they found out. Kara wasn't sure how it would be bad but she trusted him, which was rare for her.

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Cameron entered the conference room quickly, looking at Foreman and Chase with a sort of surprised expression. "Have any of you ever noticed that she looks a lot like House." She finally announced, sitting in her seat, looking at them enthusiastically.

Chase and Foreman exchanged glances. They did look alike somewhat. "Well, now that you mention it, she does look like House a bit." Chase said slowly, weighing the option. It was possible. House was old enough to be a dad.

"House? A father?" Foreman asked doubtfully, shaking his head lightly. "It just doesn't make sense. He doesn't seem like a family man."

"Well, she's an orphan. Maybe he gave her up for adoption!" Cameron exclaimed. They were all quiet for a moment. "But Kara denies it." She added.

Chase and Foreman looked up. "Maybe she doesn't know that House is her dad." Chase offered.

"Or, she knows House isn't her father." Foreman added.

Cameron frowned at him. "They have almost the exact same features. Why wouldn't she be his daughter." She protested.

"Because it's not practical. All you have is a thought. There's no physical proof." He told her. The three of them were all quiet for a moment before their eyes widened. They could get proof! "I'll go take some blood." Foreman said, jumping up.

"And we'll go look for House's medical records. We might be lucky and House has it here." Cameron said elatedly. She wasn't really sure why she was excited about this predicament. Maybe because this would lead to House actually having a life and maybe even him being caring. Chase nodded and got up following Cameron out of the conference room. Foreman exited last, wondering if this was actually possible. House didn't seem like the person who just have unprotected sex freely. He would know the consequences and by god he wouldn't want any of them happening. But Foreman could be wrong. Foreman shook his head and started down the hall.

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Kara was just a few seconds away from sleep when the door slid open to Dr. Foreman. Rolling her eyes exaggeratedly, she turned her head to him and glared at him. "What now?" She asked cantankerously, sitting up stiffly. Foreman frowned slightly, noticing that she moved like she was suffering from some muscle pain and maybe some joint pain.

"Looks like you have some new symptoms." He said, grabbing her arm carefully moving it slowly. She winced. He then took her wrist and moved it in a circular motion which made her wince again. "I came here to take some of your blood." He answered, looking up at Kara.

Kara's eyes widened slightly and for a moment, Foreman could see the fear building up before Kara put her ice wall up. "That requires a needle, doesn't it?" She gulped. For once, she seemed somewhat human.

Foreman smiled reasonably. "Yes." He answered, nodding his head. "I'll do it real fast, okay?"

Kara watched as he pulled out a long needle. "Why do you need my blood? Didn't you already take some before?" She asked carefully, trying to delay the needle for as long as possible. Foreman paused, looking down at Kara. Seeing the moment's hesitation Kara suddenly realized that this might not be a medical deal. Foreman was Cameron's colleague. Kara's brows furrowed. Foreman thought back quickly. Would he rather lie and possibly get caught or tell the truth and possibly not be able to do it. Suddenly, Foreman didn't need to explain himself. Kara was jerking violently. Foreman placed the needle on the table and quickly tried to hold Kara at least in a position that she couldn't cause harm to herself as she convulsed in her seizure. She suddenly stopped and her eyes fluttered open. "Well, are you going to answer me or not?" She barked. Her eyes drifted to Foreman's hands and then back to him. She didn't look like she was mad. She looked more like she was confused as if she didn't know what had just happened.

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Foreman finished writing the last of Kara's newest symptoms on the whiteboard when the door was thrown open by House. He hobbled in and then turned to glare at Cameron and Chase as they walked in. They both looked equally guilty. House had caught them snooping through his files. House turned to look at Foreman and then Cameron and Chase. "If you're going to snoop through people's things, at least don't do it when they can possibly walk in to the office anytime. Or, at least send Wombat to be a watch-marsupial." House chided them. "I know you were looking for Kara's files so you might as well tell me why."

Foreman raised an eyebrow slightly behind House. House hadn't even thought that they might have been searching for his file? Maybe that was proof that House wasn't the father? "To see if she has any family medical problems with frank arthritis." He quickly said, thinking of the only reasonable excuse. House slowly turned to Foreman, confused while Cameron and Chase quickly agreed though but looked also confused. "I went to check on her and she had some muscle pain and some joint pain. I wanted to see if the joint pain was affected by frank arthritis."

House pursed his lips. "So, why did they go snoop through my stuff to find our patient's file when they didn't know about the frank arthritis?" He asked. He had a feeling that something fishy was happening here. Foreman hesitated which made House smile. "When you three have come up with a suitable lie to entertain me with, then I'll listen." House finished, turning around and walking straight out of the conference room.

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Cuddy watched Kara tenderly as she slept. Cuddy knew she didn't need to watch Kara but Cuddy felt like she had too. There was so much she had missed out that now she felt like she couldn't miss anything else! Cuddy had found out by House that Kara was now suffering from muscle and joint pains. The seizures were also coming back as well. Tomorrow would be the day that Cuddy could maybe just get her child back. Just the thought of it sent chills up and down her spine and sent the butterflies back in her stomach.

The door slid open soundlessly and the unambiguous sound of House coming in to the room filled the quiet room. Cuddy slowly turned her gaze to House then back to Kara. "Still nothing?" She murmured.

There was a quiet sigh. "Yeah." House told her, watching Kara shift slightly in her sleep. He saw her body tense from the pain unconsciously before it slowly relaxed. "You're not special to get climbed on."

Cuddy smothered her giggles. She had to admit House could make her laugh at any given moment. "I wasn't going to stay here all night. I'd be uncomfortable." She answered.

"Wimp." House whispered, leaning heavily on his cane. "So, you going to tell Ms. Charles tomorrow?"

"Yes, I am." She looked over at him, taking him all in. House nodded and they both lapsed into silence, clandestinely enjoying each other's company. There wasn't much times in a hospital that one could catch a peaceful moment.

"I want her too." House finally told her quietly, averting his gaze from Cuddy. House wasn't sure with himself why he wanted to be a part of her life. He spent all his time acting like he hated everybody and pissing people off. But Kara was different. She was his responsibility as well. He didn't handle the consequences well when they had arrived. He had to fix that.

Cuddy gazed over at him, not very surprised. For some reason, she had planned to adopt Kara with House. She wouldn't...no...couldn't do it without him. "I wasn't planning on it any other way." She muttered. House met Cuddy's eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes, even more beautiful than Kara's. He felt slightly bad for Cuddy since her daughter didn't look really much like her. But he had an inkling that Kara's body structure would resemble Cuddy since Kara didn't seem to have any of his tall genes. The corners of House's lips tugged upwards and slowly a smiled played on his lips. Cuddy smiled too. Bashfully, they both looked away and looked at their daughter, completely unaware of Cameron watching them from behind the pillar. Cameron slowly detached herself from the pillar and walked away, now knowing that something was indubitably going on between the two.

House sighed heavily, looking over at Cuddy. "I haven't told the kids yet." He said, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. Cuddy looked over at him with a questioning expression. "Because it's not of their business. And they've already sent Chase to eavesdrop on us and they even went snooping around my stuff." He grunted.

Cuddy smiled. "I appreciate you keeping our secret and you are right, it is none of their business but she is their patient too. Keeping vital information could be bad." She warned him, picking up her coat. Though, she trusted him to make the smart decision. If he decided to not tell them then there was obviously a good reason for it. "Don't stay here all night again, House. It's not good for your leg." She finally said, leaving rather quickly.

House suddenly was in step with her as she entered the hallway. Cuddy eyed him secretly and smiled at him. He returned the smile with a smug expression.

Will House and Cuddy ever realize and accept that they do have feelings for each other? Well, to figure that out, you have to review. The three C's are loved! Please review because then I'll be happy and update quicker!


	8. Arrangements and Adoption

Alright, here it is! Adoption time! Thanks for the reviews, they make me so happy! Please enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not own anything familiar with House M.D.

Chapter Eight: Arrangements and Adoption

Cuddy was bristling with excitement from the very first moment she awoke. She took even more superfluous care, wondering what to wear and essentially being nit-picky about everything and anything. She wanted this day to be perfect even though she hadn't even imagined herself doing something like this. Now, she sat in her office, twiddling her pen between her slender fingers, waiting for House to arrive. They had both agreed to meet in her office before Cuddy went even looking for Ms. Charles. As a matter of fact, House was suppose to be in her office about twenty minutes ago, but he was late, as per usual. She swore that he did everything in his mind to make every fiber of herself infuriated at him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, House strolled in to Cuddy's office leisurely, grinning at Cuddy's glare. "Aren't you just a little ball of sunshine in the morning, Cuddy." He said, collapsing roughly on to Cuddy's couch. Cuddy scowled and noticed that he had dropped his stuff off in his office. Maybe he was on time, which would have only been an act of God, but was taking his sweet time walking to her office. "Well, what did you want to talk about?"

Cuddy let out a sigh and got up, walking over to the couch and sitting beside him, leaning back somewhat nonchalantly. "We need to talk about arrangements, House." She said breathlessly, looking over at him. They needed a plan for how Kara was going to live with them. Well, not with both of them but with each of them individually.

House perked up slightly. "It would be less of a hassle if she just lived with two people that were together." He muttered, looking over at Cuddy.

She looked at him outlandishly. "Of course it would but we don't and won't live together. So, we have to decide who gets Kara when."

House nodded though he felt very guilt-ridden. Kara was basically going to be like a plant that they can hand over to each other to nurture separately. "Okay then. So, um, how do you want to do this?" He asked Cuddy, turning slightly to watch her.

"House, you don't want to send her to your house on one day and mine the next either, do you?" She asked miserably. He agreed, leaning his head back. "Do you just want to come over whenever you want then? Well, not whenever you want but at a reasonable hour...that I confirm." She offered, looking over at him.

"Sounds fair enough." He muttered, looking over at her. Again, their eyes locked and everything around them seem to freeze. House felt like he was in college again. "Cuddy..." He started but his throat closed up on him.

"I think we should go now. No time like the present, my mother always said." Cuddy said, finally tearing away from House's electrifying eyes. She stood up, smoothing down any wrinkles that had appeared on her clothing. She turned to him, watching him stand up. "And maybe we should go on a first name basis for the adoption bit."

House nodded, raising his eyebrow slightly. "I guess the funbags have to be tucked in today." He told her, grinning wickedly causing Cuddy to scowl at him with a slight amused expression twinkling in her eyes.

"Lead the way." Cuddy said sternly, a slight smirk now playing on her lips as she pointed to her door. House turned and limped out of the office, followed by Cuddy.

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House was fortunate enough to catch Ms. Charles before she entered Kara's room. "Ms. Charles." House called out boisterously, causing both Skyler and Ms. Charles to stop. Cuddy stopped by his side quickly. "We need to speak to you...privately." He said, stretching his lips into a strained smile.

Ms. Charles nodded to Skyler and she turned around and headed into Kara's room. Ms. Charles walked to House and Cuddy, smiling undauntedly at them. "Yes?" She asked, looking up at both of them.

Cuddy and House exchanged glances. "Can we talk in my office?" Cuddy asked, smiling back at the cheerful woman. Ms. Charles nodded, her bright red curls bouncing as she did so. Cuddy turned around and started walking back. House rolled his eyes and followed. What was the whole point for both of them do head to Ms. Charles just to usher her back to Cuddy's office where they had been just a few minutes ago.

Cuddy sat at her desk, hands together as if in prayer, and her right leg bouncing up and down underneath the safety of her desk. House was standing behind her, leaning on his cane, watching Ms. Charles' response. She seemed to be in a state of shock rather than surprise. She looked up at House and then Cuddy and the back off into space for a moment. "Are you sure about adopting?" She finally said, looking over at the two.

"Yes, of course. Ho...Greg and I have been in very deep thought about this." She said, correcting herself quickly. Ms. Charles looked over at House with a disbelieving look.

"Lisa and I are very certain about this decision." He agreed, placing his hand on Cuddy's shoulder. He felt her tense underneath him and he couldn't help but grin. It took all of Cuddy's will to not look over at House with some sort of death glare. She knew he was enjoying this. The injudicious narcissistic man would go to the farthest lengths just to piss her off, but she had to admit that she was sort of flattered that he took that time to mess with her.

"Well, alright then. Ever since you told me that you two were Kara's parents, I took the liberty of finishing my part of the paperwork. I had a feeling that you would want to adopt her." Ms. Charles said, pulling out a stack of papers from her hideous carpet print bag. When she had said that, she was looking precisely at Cuddy, not House. House couldn't blame the woman. Cuddy was the maternal one. "You just need to read over the first page and then begin signing." She told them.

House's grin faltered. Paperwork?! Guess it was a good thing that Cuddy, Dean of Medicine, was use to paperwork. Cuddy grabbed the sheets of paper from Ms. Charles and swiftly began reading over them, clicking her pen. She signed her name and then handed the pen to House. She looked up at him when he didn't take the pen from her. His eyes were slightly wide as if telling Cuddy that this was almost like paperwork. "You have to sign this too, Greg, since you are the father." She said through clenched teeth. She raised an eyebrow slightly as if daring him to say no. House gloomily took the pen and scribbled his name onto the piece of paper.

"Good. Now, all we have to do is get Kara's approval." Ms. Charles said, taking the papers from them after they finished signing and reading everything that they needed. She hoped that Kara wouldn't be horrible to them. Dr. House and Dr. Cuddy seemed like two nice people. She believed that Kara would be in good hands with them.

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Kara and Skyler were laughing when Ms. Charles walked in, followed by House and Cuddy. The laughter stopped and both of the children looked somberly at Ms. Charles as if she brought terrible news. Cuddy and House exchanged glances at this sudden turn of emotion. Ms. Charles frowned. "Kara, now you're turning Skyler against me?" She chided, crossing her arms. Both of the children grinned madly and laughed lightly.

Cuddy let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. To tell the truth, Cuddy was shaking. What if Kara said no? She was wringing her wrists apprehensively but quickly put them to her sides thinking about how stupid she looked. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand. She looked up, seeing House smiling reassuringly at her. She smiled bashfully back and turned her attention back to Kara.

"Kara, I have some good news." Ms. Charles said, going over to her bedside, pushing the swinging table in front of her. She placed the stack of papers on the table and grinned. "Your mother and father want to adopt you."

Kara blinked quietly and stared at the papers in front of her. Slowly, her eyes traveled to Cuddy and House. Cuddy looked excited and nervous at the same time. House looked sort of calm but a bit worried. She glanced up at Ms. Charles to find that she was ecstatic. Of course she would be happy for Kara and for herself. Then it was time for Skyler's evaluation. Skyler was shocked and happy for Kara at the same time. Ms. Charles placed a pen on the table next to the papers. "All you have to do is sign it." Ms. Charles added.

"No." Kara said quickly, averting her gaze to her hands. She really didn't want to see what would happen after that. She handed the pen back to Ms. Charles.

The word cut through Cuddy hard and she took a step back, shaking her head slightly. This wasn't happening. It couldn't happen but the word was still ringing in her ears. Cuddy blinked back tears and she felt a thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. She could faintly hear House whispering something to her but it all was jumbled up and she couldn't comprehend it. She stared at Kara, who was watching her hands with forced interest.

House was a bit surprised that Kara had said that too but he was more worried about Cuddy. He had a feeling that Kara wasn't speaking the truth though. His eyes shifted to Skyler. Her facial expression was one of pure horror. "Why not?" Skyler suddenly cried out, scowling at her best friend. Cuddy looked up at Skyler's sudden outburst.

Kara slowly raised her eyes to meet her friend's. "Because I can't." She said firmly.

Ms. Charles shook her head. "Why can't you, dear? All you have to do is sign a piece of paper and then..." She started, befuddled.

"I made a promise, Ms. Charles. I can't break my promise." Kara told her mellifluously, finally looking at Cuddy and House. House and Cuddy were both looking at each other and then back at Kara.

"You made a promise not to get adopted? Kara, what kind of..." Ms. Charles began, wishing that Kara wouldn't be obstinate.

"No!" Skyler cried, causing everyone to jump. "Kara, no! No, no, no, no, no!" Skyler shook her finger at Kara.

"I have to. We made a deal. I can't let you be in that orphanage all by yourself." Kara told her, frowning at Skyler.

Skyler blinked, looking at Ms. Charles before taking a deep breath. "Kara...today's my last day as an orphan. I got adopted yesterday. I was going to tell you when I first got here but..." She drifted off. She was kind of worried about how Kara would act.

Kara stared at Skyler for a moment. "Thanks a lot, Skyler. Now I might actually look happy when I sign this adoption paper." She said sardonically, looking at Ms. Charles. "Pen." Kara stuck out her hand, looking at her expectantly.

Cuddy felt her heart jump and she squeezed House's hand hard. House winced, frowning down at her but her smile was contagious as the frown changed. Cuddy turned back to watch Kara uncap the pen and set the tip of the pen on the paper for her signature. She paused looking up at Ms. Charles. "What am I suppose to do again?" She asked suddenly.

House frowned, stepping forward, letting go of Cuddy's hand. "Sign your name at the bottom of the paper." House answered, watching her inquiringly.

Kara nodded and went to write again. Her pen began to move and she wrote something down. House suddenly took it from her even though she wasn't finished. "House, what are you doing?" Cuddy suddenly snapped. She took it from him and went to hand it to Kara, but stopped seeing what Kara wrote. It was just a bunch of swirls that looked like cursive writing. "Aphasia?" She asked inaudibly, turning to look at House.

"Brain fog." House said, nodding to Kara, who was looking at the pen as if she didn't know what she was doing with it. "Isn't this the best time for brain fog?" He added with fictitious cheerfulness. Cuddy couldn't help but laugh slightly. It was kind of a bad time to have this symptom but it was pretty funny when House said it.

"Brain fog? What does that mean?" Ms. Charles asked, looking at Kara with trepidation.

"It's another term for a neurocognitive symptom." House explained, watching Kara. "She's suffering from a part of brain fog that makes her unable to write."

Cuddy sighed. "So I guess we have to wait to finalize the adoption then?" She asked somewhat desolately.

Ms. Charles smiled. "Yes and no. Kara did agree. She just needs to sign. But I'll just say this now, congratulations! You're parents." Cuddy smiled and turned to House, who was nodding his head. She was so ecstatic she could have kissed House! As an alternative, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She pulled back only when she noticed that House wasn't hugging her back.

"Ho...Greg, are you okay?" She asked. Why wouldn't he find some way to enjoy this? Every time she did try to hug him or something, he tried to feel her ass.

"I'll be back." House just said, limping quickly out of the room. Cuddy frowned, looking around the room.

"I'm just going to see what's up with him." She said, following him.

Has House figured out what is wrong with his daughter? Will Kara be able to fully consent on this adoption? Please review! The three C's are loved and appreciated!


	9. Say Goodbye to Your Little Friend

Thanks for the lovely reviews! They make me so happy! You finally figure out what's wrong with Kara now! Yay! Now, we can all worry about how Kara's going to get her parents together. Gasp, I said too much! Disclaimer: Anything you aren't familiar with is MINE!!!!! And there is a part of this story that is dedicated to Gabiroba for telling me that important fact! It might not seem like much, but don't worry, it'll will come up more than once!

Chapter Nine: Say Goodbye to Your Little Friend

"We have a new symptom. Brain Fog." House said raucously as he entered the conference room. "Now, what could cause that symptom?" He asked, looking at the ducklings. They all seemed to sit up a bit straighter, watching House write the symptom on the board. Cuddy entered the conference room silently, leaning on the wall.

"Well, that means she must have a neuroimmune disease. That or Inattentive ADD." Foreman began slowly, thinking.

"She could have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia..." Cameron drifted off.

"Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis," Chase picked up. "It could be Systemic lupus erythematosus since the MRI did show punctured white matter lesions."

House looked up at the board. The deer tick was beginning to become more common over the eastern coast. Everything seemed to suddenly fit in. "Cuddy, ask Ms. Charles if any of the orphans went outside to play in brushy areas." He asked unexpectedly, interrupting Chase as he began to come up with another idea which sounded like cerebrovascular disease.

"You really think she could have Lyme disease?" Cuddy asked, grabbing the door handle.

"It's the most reasonable one." House said. The kids could have been doing anything. They could have been playing tag and Kara could have tripped or something and landed on a bush or something and the tick could have easily just crawled onto her jacket and planted itself somewhere. He looked up, watching Cuddy look back at him. "What?" He asked. She was just as bad as the ducklings, staring at him after he told them to do something. She frowned slightly at him. He sighed. "Fine." He got up and followed Cuddy out of the room.

Cameron looked at Chase and Foreman. She stood up and started to walk out. Chase and Foreman scrambled after her.

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Cuddy and House entered Kara's room again, watching Kara stare off in space tranquilly. Ms. Charles and Skyler both looked up, smiling at the doctors. "Everything alright?" Ms. Charles asked raising an eyebrow as House searched the drawers that held all sorts of medical apparatus in it. Giving up, he pulled out a pen.

"We think we might know what's wrong with Kara." Cuddy answered, smiling. The door slid open and House's ducklings walked in. She frowned at them, wondering why they had followed. Didn't they have...stuff to do? "What are you doing here?"

"We work here. And, we want to know what's going on." Cameron said, crossing her arms. Chase and Foreman nodded. It seemed that they weren't courageous enough to stand up to House and Cuddy.

House scarcely acknowledged his ducklings being in the same room. "Kara," He began, snapping his fingers in front of her face. She slowly turned her attention to House, looking at him with an insubordinate stare. "Have you gone anywhere in the past few months? Predominantly anywhere outside."

Ms. Charles frowned. "How is that suppose to help?" She asked.

House looked up at Ms. Charles resignedly. "Have they been anywhere outside in wooded areas?" He asked.

Ms. Charles shook her head. "No, I don't allow them to run rampant wherever they please. So far they have been at a museum and that's it." She said, remembering that horrendous trip that was four months ago but seemed like two weeks ago. Not only did Kara hate it there, some of the other little kids decided that it would be more fun to play hide-and-go-seek.

House puffed out his cheeks and let out a long breath. "Has she suffered from any fevers, headaches, sore throats, or fatigue in the past few months?"

Ms. Charles opened her mouth to say something that looked like a 'No' but Skyler quickly interrupted. "Yeah. They started about two months ago but began to get constant and worse over time." Skyler answered, looking now apprehensive. She didn't think that it was a life-threatening medical quandary. Every kid got sick!

House and Cuddy exchanged glances. "Skyler, did any kids at the orphanage sneak out to play recently?" Cuddy asked dexterously, leaning down. Skyler looked at Kara and then at Ms. Charles before back at Cuddy. "Skyler, we need you to tell us this. It's very important to Kara's health." Cuddy urged her. House was already checking the hair on Kara's arms.

Skyler sighed. "Yes. All the older kids go out at least once a month just to hang out and do whatever. Usually we just walk around or try to slip in to a movie theater. Two months ago, we all went just walking. It sounds stupid, I know, but it's the only free time we really get to ourselves. We were all really just running and Kara tripped. We all laughed and she laughed too and got up. Does that help?"

"Yes, it does." Chase answered when Cuddy was now looking at the hair on Kara's legs. House was already on to Kara's hair.

"So what are you looking for exactly?" Skyler piped up. They looked like two monkeys grooming their child.

"We're looking for a tick." House answered, sighing. "You have so much hair."

"No thanks to me, right?" Cuddy asked sarcastically.

The ducklings exchanged glances. "What's that suppose to mean?" Foreman asked. Everything kept on getting more confusing. When were they going to get straight answers?

"Didn't they tell you?" Ms. Charles said, frowning. "Kara's their child." She finished before House and Cuddy could say anything to stop her. Skyler watched the three doctor's mouths drop open.

"I knew it!" Cameron whispered to herself.

"You just thought that Kara was House's child not Cuddy's as well." Chase pointed out.

"She doesn't even look like Cuddy." Foreman offered.

Cuddy looked over at Foreman with a death glare. "Thanks Foreman but I'm pretty sure she's my daughter since I did go through three hours of labor with her." House smiled slightly, remembering those long agonizing hours. If anyone thought that Cuddy was the devil reincarnated now, they should have seen her thirteen years ago. "Have you found anything yet?"

"If I did, I would have said 'Found it.'" House remarked, looking her head over. The search was beginning to look fruitless. What if it wasn't Lyme disease? But everything fit in immaculately with Lyme disease.

"You know if you really are related to her. You're not supposed to be treating her." Foreman offered again. Ms. Charles and Skyler looked up at Cuddy and House.

"Are you going to rat us out for caring?" House snapped, glaring over at Foreman. Cuddy looked down guilty. She knew that and she knew the consequences for the action. But how could she not want to take care of her daughter? Suddenly, House saw something. "I think I found it but I need some tweezers."

"Did you check the drawers?" Cameron asked, going over to them hurriedly.

"Of course I checked them. They weren't..." House began.

"Here they are." Cameron interrupted, holding them out to him.

House looked at her awkwardly before grabbing the tweezers. He yanked something out and held out the deer tick triumphantly. Cuddy smiled and Ms. Charles looked at the tick nauseatingly. She evidently didn't like bugs. He turned to the ducklings. "Start her on 2 grams of Ceftriaxone." He ordered. They nodded and all of them headed out. Kara blinked and looked up at House. "Say goodbye to your little friend."

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Cuddy stood in her office, gazing out her windows as rain drizzled down lethargically. Although it looked desolate outside, Cuddy wasn't going to let that down her feelings. Today was just a magnificent day. The sun should have been shining but it wasn't. Kara was diagnosed, the tick was gone, and Cuddy had her daughter. Though Kara did have to stay in the hospital for a bit to make sure Lyme disease didn't continue and to make sure she didn't have any other tick-borne diseases like ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, or even bartonella. After making sure she didn't have any of those, they still had to check up on her to make sure she wouldn't suffer from any physical disabilities from the late diagnosis like congestive heart failure. Though, since Kara didn't suffer too badly with the symptoms, she doubted that would happen but there always was a chance.

The door to her office opened and there was a loud rap on the door. "House." She said, not even looking back. She knew it was him even without the rap. He hadn't made a sarcastic remark to her all day since this morning, which was a record. It was about time he showed up. She turned to the door and blinked. He wasn't there. Frowning, she looked around. She jumped slightly when she realized that he was right next to her.

He grinned. "So, how are you feeling?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Cuddy raised an eyebrow. Since when did House come to someone just to ask them how they are feeling? "I'm happy." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What did you really come in here for, House?"

He looked at her, traumatized. "Can't a guy come to visit the Malevolent Dean of Medicine? You know, that's not the best way to make friends." He told her, shaking a finger at her.

"You know, now that Kara's healed, there's nothing stopping you from doing some clinic duty." She offered.

House frowned. "I think you and the tick should be best friends." He said grouchily. Cuddy rolled her eyes. "It'll be awhile before Kara can write properly again."

"I know that." Cuddy told him, rubbing her forehead. It didn't take long for House to give her a headache.

"And it will be a bit longer after that before Kara can actually come home with us." He looked over at her for she had indisputably thought over this since she was a woman. They seem to think about everything and anything.

"Your point, House?" She finally said a bit perturbed. He could drag things on forever. She wondered if he planned these things or just did something to see what would happen.

"Are you just going to invite her in your house with nothing but the clothes on her back?" He asked.

She blinked. Was House actually thinking of the future? Was he proposing that they go shopping for Kara's new clothes together? "Well, of course not. I just haven't got her measurements yet. Why are you suddenly so interested?" She asked.

"She's my daughter. I'm allowed to be interested and concerned. I mean, someone has to be the grown up around here." House said, heading to the door. Cuddy laughed. House? A grown up? He was more like a little child that rebelled against everything Cuddy, the grown up, said. "So, when are we going shopping?" He asked, throwing the door open.

"Shopping? With you? I'm not going shopping with you. I will go on my own." She told him, crossing her arms.

"That's what you think." House sneered, limping out of Cuddy's office, leaving Cuddy standing there dumbfounded by his behavior.

Hmmm? What does House exactly mean by that? I guess you will find out if you only review:)


	10. Shopping

I know this seems a little short but I promise, the updates are going to be getting faster and I believe, longer. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know I did! Disclaimer: Like I said nine times before, I don't own anything from House M.D. And the word "bestest" is in here, even though it is not a real word!

Chapter Ten: Shopping

Kara looked up at the ceiling, puffing out her cheeks with air and then pushing her hands against her cheeks to let the air rush out. That was one of the many things Kara did when she was bored. It had been four days since House had pulled the tick off of her. Since then, everything had been comparatively quiet. Skyler was away with her new family so she couldn't have visited Kara, even though Skyler said they lived not too far from the orphanage and the hospital. Ms. Charles visited her once but that was just to finish the adoption papers and discuss certain details.

The door slid open and Foreman entered the room to do the routine check up. "How're you feeling?" He asked, smiling.

"I'm so bored!" She whined, looking up at him despondently.

"Well, the hospital isn't the most exciting place in the world." Foreman told her, taking her temperature. "A normal ninety-eight point six." He showed her. She stared at him. "Don't worry, just a few more days and you'll be out of here with your parents." He frowned. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

Kara couldn't help but laugh. House's ducklings had expressed their concerns for Kara earlier on, telling her not to grow up like her father while House one time told her not to grow up like her mother. She had told them that she would grow up like Kara was supposed to grow up, which didn't seem to alleviate anyone's concerns. Slowly the laughter ended and she frowned, wondering why her parents weren't doing those underhanded visits anymore. She knew that they didn't have to do that anymore since they were now her parents and she confirmed it, but they could at least visit. "So, when exactly is a few more days?"

"Probably whenever your parents think it's a good time to discharge you. I think Cuddy has yet to go shopping for you." Foreman said, writing the concluding details on the clipboard. "Do you need anything?"

"Skyler." Kara answered automatically, letting another sigh out.

Foreman opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the door opened. "Granted." He finally told her, beaming contentedly at her.

Kara lifted her head and grinned. Skyler stood in the doorway, dressed in brand new clothing; smiling back at Kara and behind her stood her new parents. Her new mother had long blonde hair pulled in a tight bun, an austere looking face, hard steely gray eyes, and a dignified aura around her. Her clothes were neatly pressed, as well were her husband's and Skyler's, and she wore no excessive jewelry. Her new father had combed black hair, bright emerald eyes, a relaxed looking face, and a somewhat casual appearance to him. "You brought the adopted people along as well. Skyler, couldn't you have just left them at home." She told Skyler unenthusiastically. Both of Skyler's parents glanced at each other.

"Kara, stop being mean." Skyler reprimanded, crossing her arms and going to her best friend's bedside. "I can leave."

"No you can't. I'm sick, remember?" Kara told her, coughing pathetically. Foreman laughed heartily at that one and shook his head to Skyler before leaving. "What does he know?" She snapped.

Skyler rolled her eyes at Kara before turning to her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is my bestest friend in the whole wide world, Kara!" Skyler told them cheerfully, smiling up at them.

"Correction! Only friend in the whole wide world." Kara pointed out.

"That's only because you chased everyone else away." Skyler said exasperated.

"Correction again. I only did that because you made me your personal bodyguard." Kara replied smartly. Skyler was quiet for a moment, watching Kara with aversion. "You've rubbed off on me!" Skyler laughed and turned to her parents.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone then. We'll be back here at noon. Alright?" Her mother said, checking her watch. Kara frowned. That only left Skyler and Kara just an hour to visit. She hoped that her parents weren't excessively strict. Skyler nodded and they left.

"I can't believe you picked Mr. and Mrs. Well-behaved." Kara scolded Skyler as soon as her parents vanished from Kara's sight. She knew Skyler had always been one for obeying the rules and keeping things neat like Ms. Charles but she would have never guessed that Skyler would pick parents like that.

"They're not bad! They're really nice if you give them a chance. And it's Mr. Randal and Mrs. Kiki Rivers." Skyler defended, furrowing her brows. "Keep your attitude up and my parents will forbid me to be friends with you."

Kara looked dismayed. "They can't do that! You have a right to befriend anybody." Kara sputtered wrathfully.

"Parents are allowed to do that kind of stuff. I'm not saying that they will but you never know." Skyler told her, sitting down. Both of them were quiet for a moment, very jealous of the god-like power parents seem to hold in their dirty little hands. "So, what's been going on with you lately?"

"Absolutely nothing." Kara answered, yawning with tediousness. "You think with a TV that has about fifty million channels would have something good to watch. But oh we are so very wrong. Anything that even sounds mildly entertaining is either blocked or stupid."

"Blocked?" Skyler asked, looking anxiously over at her friend. Why would Kara want to watch something she's not allowed too?

"You know, when they don't have the channel." Kara explained.

"Oh, that kind of blocked. You had me going there for a moment." Skyler said relieved.

Kara looked at her friend with a confused expression. "You should have learned that I'm not interested in shows that are all about fake people and their sex lives." She reminded Skyler, looking at the door which had opened again. Kara should have figured something like this would happen. Once someone visited, everyone else in the entire world did too. Cuddy stepped into Kara's room timidly, almost as if she didn't want someone else noticing.

"Morning, Kara. Morning, Skyler." Cuddy said courteously. Kara and Skyler both gave her nods. "I just came to measure you and ask you a few questions, so I'll be out of your hair in a few minutes." Kara could definitely tell that Cuddy was nervous. Was she afraid that Kara wouldn't like her and demand to be an orphan again? Kara could almost picture Cuddy thinking that. Cuddy pulled out a measuring tape from her sweater pocket and began to measure Kara. As Cuddy was measuring Kara's chest, Kara immediately became aware of her lack of bust. She knew her mother would definitely have that but heaven forbid that Skyler have more bust size than her!

"Will they grow?" She suddenly asked shamefacedly, making Cuddy look up.

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked, frowning.

"My anthills. Will they be like yours one day?" Kara asked again, her cheeks becoming red. It took all of Skyler's willpower not to smile at Kara's question.

Cuddy couldn't help but smile. "Most likely yes." She answered, reaching out to touch Kara's cheek affectionately before starting up with the measurements. Skyler and Kara looked up inquisitively as the door opened again to House. He held his pointer finger to his lips. "Is there anything you really hate to wear?" Cuddy asked, slipping the measurement tape back into her pocket.

Kara shrugged. "Not really."

"Alright then. I'm going to buy you a few welcoming home gifts as well for your room. Do you like anything in particular? I mean like a Disney character, the ocean, or something." Cuddy asked her. It wasn't really welcoming home gifts. It should have been more like 'I'm-giving-you-gifts-so-your-room-can-be-called-a-room' gifts.

Kara looked at Skyler before back at Cuddy. "I like rainbows." She said, wondering if that would help.

"And she likes flowers, puffy clouds, cute dogs, the color purple, and swirls." Skyler added in.

"Don't forget bubbles, stars, and green." Kara finished, looking up at Cuddy. Cuddy was smiling. "I think that's all." Skyler nodded in approval.

"Great, now when do we go shopping?" House finally said, smirking. Cuddy turned around, startled at his unexpected appearance. He was leaning against the wall, toying with his cane. Cuddy's hands rested on her hips and Kara could hear her sigh exhaustingly.

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Cuddy grabbed the nearest cart and placed her purse in it, sending a disdainful glare at House. He had followed her all the way to the store on his motorcycle despite her telling him that he was not going shopping with her. His only answer had been 'That's what you think.' She slowly pushed it down the walkway in search of the girls' department with Kara's measurements in hand. "Why are you suddenly so interested in what Kara will wear?" She asked suspiciously. She had a feeling that House wasn't here just to make sure that Cuddy got her daughter nice clothes.

"I didn't come here for that. I came here for my own personal enjoyment." House said apathetically, his blue eyes lighting up as he looked at something off to his left. Cuddy followed his gaze and groaned inwardly, seeing the lingerie section.

"House," She began but House was already doing a beeline for one of the most revealing piece of clothing, if one could call it that. She quickly picked up her pace for the girls' department. Maybe she could lose him in the store hopefully.

"Cuddles!" House's shout could be heard from clear across the store. "Where did you go?" Cuddy peeked over a rack, seeing House stand in the aisle, frowning indecisively as he gazed around for her. Cuddy turned around to the rack behind her and began to sort through them. For a few minutes, Cuddy was alone, gathering quite a hefty pile of potential clothing. But her peaceful minutes alone didn't last long as she felt a cane tap her on the shoulder.

Cuddy miserably turned around, a pretty dress in her hands. House stood in front of her, brandishing out a lingerie outfit which barely covered anything. Crimson immediately began to creep into her cheeks. Why did House have to humiliate her with all these people around? "House, put that back!" She snarled, fingers digging in to the cotton fabric of the dress.

House frowned at her. "If you wear this to work, I'll do clinic duty for a week." He said, offering it to her.

"I'm not wearing it, House. Not now, not at work, not ever!" She hissed, jabbing her finger into his chest. She quickly straightened herself and gazed down at the dress.

House looked down desperately at the clothing in his hands before tossing it on to the floor. "I don't think Kara wants to dress up like those people on Little House on the Prairie." He objected, wrinkling his nose in repugnance at the dress.

"People on that show don't dress like this." Cuddy told him, placing the dress in the cart. She looked up at House. "Why did you come here, House? Please, enlighten me on the real answer."

House stared at her for a few moments, his eyes searching hers. "Because, I can." He answered nonchalantly, gazing over at the rack beside him. "Let's shop till you drop."

"Fine, but no nit-picking." She agreed, rolling her eyes at House's last statement. She wasn't a shopping addict. She could completely control herself.

"What about these? These are so adorable." Cuddy squealed over more clothes just a half an hour later. House had made himself comfortable on the floor. Resignedly, he opened his eyes looking at Cuddy. "Which one do you think she'll like? The orange or the blue?" She asked him, holding it out to him. House groaned. Cuddy's cart was already half full of clothes for Kara. The child didn't need anymore!

"Don't you think it's time to shop for something else? We've got the jeans; we got the shirts, the dresses, the skirts, and the unmentionables." He said prudently, turning himself slightly to help him get up. He dusted off his pants and grabbed his cane. "I mean, she still needs bedding and things." He added, uncertain of what else Kara needed.

Cuddy looked over at him before glancing at the clothes in her hands dejectedly. "I guess so." She told him, putting the clothes back on the rack. She began to push the cart into the aisle towards their next destination. House let out a sigh of relief. He didn't realize that when he had said 'Shop till you drop' that she would have taken it literally. "Let's go to bedding." She told him. House followed her inaudibly until they passed the beds, where he inconspicuously went to the nearest bed. Collapsing on it, he closed his eyes.

Cuddy was too busy looking at the bedding to realize that House wasn't with her. She had found a white bedding with rainbows all over it. It took her about fifteen minutes to spot this perfect one. Glancing at her watch, she sighed. Shopping was always a thing that took a lot of time and consideration. "Alright then. We should get her some..." She trailed off, looking for House. Did she actually lose him this time? Cuddy wasn't sure whether to feel happy or somewhat sad. Did he ditch her? "House?" She asked vociferously, going into the aisle. She started on her way back to the clothes but stopped shortly, rolling her eyes at the sight to her left.

An employee was looking agitatedly over at House, who was passed out on the mattress, snoring. "Sir, you have to wake up, sir." The employee was saying, tapping House lightly on the shoulder. He snorted slightly, turning in his sleep. The girl sighed irritably at the man and looked around helplessly. Cuddy walked over there.

"I'm so sorry." Cuddy apologized, sending an icy glare back at House's sleeping form. "I usually don't take him shopping for obvious reasons." She added as she picked up House's cane that he had left on the floor. She hit him harshly on the shoulder, causing him to jump a little. Blearily, he turned over, looking up at Cuddy crossly. "Get off of the mattress, House."

"I'm just testing it out. Aren't I allowed to do that to something before we buy it?" He protested, stealing his cane back. He glanced at the employee. "It works but it's a little bumpy."

"We don't need to buy a bed. Just covers." Cuddy told him impatiently, looking at the dirt that had gotten on to the mattress from House's shoes. "Look, you've made a mess." She went to wipe off the dirt but House grabbed her hand.

"That's not dirt." He assured her quietly, beaming brightly at the employee. She gave him a weird look. He got up, stretching and then looked at Cuddy expectantly. "Lead the way."

Finally, Cuddy was checking out about two hours later. House was watching the bagger with little interest as he placed bag after bag in the cart. "Do you need help?" The bagger asked, grinning toothily at Cuddy. House looked up seeing Cuddy mask her horror and put on a hesitant smile.

"No thank you. I've got _help_." She said, stressing the world help as she looked over at House. House refused to meet her gaze. Cuddy finished paying for Kara's things before heading out of the store with House in tow. She headed to the back of her car, opening the trunk as House took his helmet out of Cuddy's car. "Help." Cuddy said peering at him from around the car, watching him put his helmet on.

With a loud sigh, he trudged over to her and helped her place the clothes and other junk that Kara needed into Cuddy's trunk and car. Cuddy pushed the cart back to the store's entrance before she slid inside her car, ready to go home. Her eyes drifted to her left, watching House sit on his motorcycle and the confused look on a passerby as he noticed that House was in a handicapped parking spot. She rolled down her window. "House!" She yelled at him over the motorcycle's loud engine. House didn't hear her for he turned around just then, over the sidewalk then back on to the road. She leaned back in her car, watching him zoom off. "Thanks." She whispered before rolling her window back up and putting her car in reverse.

Now that's the shopping's done, that only leaves one thing left! Kara goes home! Yay! Please review! The three C's are loved!


	11. Welcome Home

Alright, here it is! Kara finally gets to come home! Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House M.D. All I own is my characters and the plot! Thanks for all your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Eleven: Welcome Home

"You think she's ready for this?" Cuddy asked House as they sat in her office, sipping coffee. House had brought the coffee and now they both had to wait until Cuddy got off of work to bring Kara home. Cuddy was going to try to get off early so House didn't have to wait around for both of them. She didn't trust him to stay in her house. She looked over at House. Unlike her, it looked as if House had slept pretty well. Cuddy was so excited and so worried that she scarcely got any sleep at all.

"There's no way of really telling, Cuddy" He answered tentatively, looking out the window. The sun was shining brightly today. He took a sip of his coffee, letting the warm liquid trickle its way down his esophagus. "I've been here for too long." House suddenly muttered, getting up and grabbing his cane.

Cuddy looked up at him, frowning. "You've only been in here three minutes at the most." Cuddy told him, looking somewhat poignant.

He opened the door and looked back at her. "Yeah, I know. Can't give you any excuses to slap more clinic duty on me." He said, exiting quickly after that. Cuddy shook her head and traced her finger delicately over the rim of the coffee cup. There was something about House that Cuddy couldn't put her finger on. He had something that could make anyone, even Cuddy, so easily infuriated. But, at the end of the day, Cuddy realized that she could never stay mad at him. There was some sort of aura that radiated off of him that made him so loveable even if House didn't act that way. Smiling ever so slightly, she brought the cup to her lips and sipped some coffee.

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Cuddy looked at herself in the mirror one more time, making sure she was satisfied with everything. It was late, she knew that, but it was better late than never. She pulled her sweater down nervously and took a deep breath. This was nerve-racking. She wasn't this anxious even when she presented something to the board. Grabbing her things, she made her way to Kara's hospital room. House had probably left about thirty minutes ago. He had stopped by her office to see if she was going to leave but she had told him she had a few more things to do. As she entered the room, she saw Cameron helping Kara into her wheelchair. She wore the same clothes she had come in with. A long, baggy orange sweater with some holes near her wrists, dark pants that were too short, and worn out shoes.

"Ready to go home?" Cuddy asked sensitively, smiling at Kara as they pushed her out of the room. Cuddy took the handles of the wheelchair and began to push her forward.

Kara was quiet for a moment, as if she was contemplating the answer. "Do I have to stay in this?" She asked instead, frowning.

Cuddy smiled understatedly and nodded. "It's hospital regulations. When we get out of the hospital, I'll let you walk to the car, okay?" She told Kara, letting her hand roam in her purse for her keys. The usual pocket that held her keys was inexplicably empty for some strange reason. Frowning, Cuddy took her purse off her shoulder and stepped into the elevator, letting Cameron start to push her.

"Something wrong?" Cameron asked, seeing Cuddy search her purse frenetically for something. Kara looked up also, her eyebrows raised and a questioning expression plastered on her face.

"It seems I just might have misplaced something, that's all." Cuddy assured them. She hoped she hadn't left them in her car! What if she locked herself out? This wasn't supposed to happen! This day was supposed to work out good! "I'll be right back." Cuddy parted from them, heading over to her office swiftly.

Cameron pushed Kara all the way to the hospital's entrance and helped her stand up. "Your mother should be here soon. Will you be alright here alone or do you want me to..." Cameron began, smiling at the girl. She seemed to be relieved to be up on her feet again.

"I'm fine." Kara quickly interrupted, sending a hesitated smile Cameron's way. Cameron nodded and left, wheeling the empty wheelchair back where it belonged. Kara waited for only a few seconds until Cuddy appeared around the corner, looking slightly distressed. "What's wrong?"

"I believe I might have left my keys in the car." Cuddy said despondently, heading outside to the parking lot, towards her car.

"Are you sure it's not in your purse?" Kara asked frowning. Cuddy opened her mouth to say something but she shook her head and opened her purse, stopping in the middle of the parking lot to rummage around in it. Kara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, staring at all the cars. "Which car is yours?" She suddenly asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Cuddy looked up slightly and pointed to her car before going back to her purse. Kara took a few more steps forward and smirked. "I think I found the keynapper!" Kara exclaimed loudly, pointing at the car. Cuddy looked up frowning and headed towards her car, narrowing her eyes. House was in Cuddy's passenger seat, pretending his cane was a guitar and singing to something playing on her radio.

Cuddy sighed and knocked on the window loudly, glaring at House. House stopped suddenly, looking up at Cuddy innocuously. He rolled down the window slowly, grinning. "May I help you? Today we are offering the backseat special for half price." He said smirking.

Kara's nose wrinkled in abhorrence. That was just too gross! Parents saying something like that to each other should have been illegal. She didn't care if they weren't married or not. Cuddy didn't think it was funny either. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson and her eyes narrowed to slits. "House!" She hissed venomously but her words were lost in his laughter. She sighed and shook her head, looking over at Kara for a moment before looking around. "Where's your motorcycle?"

House pointed to the other side of the car. Kara's eyes sparkled with interest and she looked past the car to glance at it. House exited the car, pushing the car keys into her palms. Kara glanced over to look at House and frowned at his cane. How could a disabled man drive a motorcycle? She opened her mouth but closed it, not sure if she wanted to ask him that particular question. He put on his helmet and eyed Kara. "One day I'll let you ride with me if your mother allows it." He told her, walking past her.

Kara looked up at Cuddy expectantly. Cuddy smiled resignedly back at her daughter. "Maybe when you're older." She told her, heading to her side of the car. Kara groaned inwardly and got into the passenger seat, watching House rev up his motorcycle before zipping out of the parking lot. Cuddy followed him.

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Kara looked up at the house carefully as Cuddy chastised House for being reckless on the road and how he needed to set a good example for Kara. Kara was actually very nervous about this. She believed that all of this was a dream and that one day she'd wake up in the orphanage and everything would be gone. That was just one thing that she feared. What if her mother didn't like her? She didn't want to get sent back to the orphanage. A hand touched Kara's shoulder tenderly and Kara looked up at Cuddy. "Come on." She said, leading Kara towards her new home. House limped after them.

"This is the kitchen and that's the living room." Cuddy began, giving Kara the grand tour. "The dining room and in there is my study. And this is your room." She said, pushing Kara down the hallway to the closed door. Cuddy stopped, waiting for Kara to open the door eagerly. Kara opened the door slowly, glancing around at the room.

The room mostly was bare because Cuddy wasn't sure what Kara really wanted. It was much more than Kara would have expected and it was definitely more than Kara had owned ever before. She looked at the bed and the stuffed animal on the bed that looked slightly old. It was probably her mother's when she was young. A new desk was in there with school stuff on the top. Ms. Charles wouldn't be teaching her anymore. She'd have to go to Princeton Academy now instead of being taught by Ms. Charles. She entered the room and looked at the closet, seeing all the clothes. She turned back to her parents. Cuddy and House were in the doorway watching Kara. "This stuff is great." She said, smiling at them.

Cuddy beamed back and went to her daughter, enveloping her into a hug. Kara was still so small but she had a couple years yet to grow. "I didn't buy you any toys because I didn't really know what you wanted. If you would like, we can go shopping for stuff to decorate your room with." She offered, placing her cheek on Kara's head and closed her eyes. Cuddy wasn't sure what she was suppose to do or anything but this felt right.

House watched quietly. The sight was a beautiful one which surprised even him. It was something so simple. A little bit of love showing between two people that House cared for and that was what surprised House. This caring seemed to come out of nowhere. It was like he wanted to place a protective shield or something around both of them to make sure nothing could hurt them. House knew that was impossible unless they were in the movie Bubble Boy.

Kara finally pulled away from the hug and looked at House then back at Cuddy. "So, what now?" She asked, tilting her head.

Cuddy and House exchanged glances. "You live a normal life now. You're going to live here with me and Hou...I mean your father will come visit you whenever he wants." Cuddy explained slowly, looking at House to make sure she got it right. He nodded.

Kara smirked. "My life is never normal." She pointed out. House and Cuddy smiled slightly, unsure of really what she meant by the comment. "But I also mean, what do I do now?"

Cuddy opened her mouth to say something but House beat her to it. "Go be a kid." He told her, pulling out his PSP. "Here, play with this." Kara took it from him and looked at it inquisitively. "It's a PSP."

"I know what it is." Kara told him, turning it over. "But how do you turn this on?" House grabbed it from her and helped her turn it on.

Cuddy smiled at them. "I'll be in the kitchen. Kara, do you have a favorite food?" She asked, turning to go to the kitchen. Kara shook her head and Cuddy headed towards the kitchen, hearing House explain how to play the game.

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Cuddy looked up at House as he limped his way to the couch, his PSP in his hand. He sat down and glanced at Cuddy, who was holding her coffee cup close to her to keep her warm. "On the table." She told him, sipping it leisurely. House put the PSP in his pocket and grabbed his coffee. "She didn't want to play with it anymore?" She asked him, looking over at the hallway, expecting Kara to be standing there.

"She fell asleep." House answered mellifluously, setting the coffee cup back down after taking a sip. It was still too hot to drink comfortably. Cuddy glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was a quarter till ten. House subconsciously put his arms on the back of the couch, staring at the news reporter as they talked about the latest robbery.

"I want thank you." Cuddy began slowly, setting her coffee down also. House turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. Getting a thanks from the Dean of Medicine? He didn't even think that could happen.

"Thank me for what?" He asked modestly, which was a mannerism that House never used.

"For just being there when you know you didn't have to." Cuddy answered truthfully turning to look at him also. Everything seemed to freeze over, like it did when their eyes locked. Cuddy couldn't catch her breath as she looked up into his eyes. He was closer than she remembered. "House..." She whispered.

"You're welcome." House answered calmly, leaning closer. She was addictive. Once House got too close to her, he just had to be right next to her. She complied and leaned forward also, leaving a very small gap between them. "Cuddy..."

"Yes?" She asked, her eyes lingering on his lips.

"I think..." House began, dipping his head down ever so slightly.

For a moment, everything seemed to go in slow-mo. And then..."Hey, where's the bathroom?" Kara's voice drifted down the hallway into the living room snapping House and Cuddy out of their trances. Cuddy and House glanced at the hallway, not even seeing Kara yet. She finally emerged, rubbing her eyes groggily. She stopped, staring at her parents as they looked at her. She had the feeling that she had just interrupted something. "It's kind of an emergency." Kara added when neither of her parents said anything.

"Oh, here let me show you." Cuddy finally said, getting up quickly before she did something she regretted. She led Kara down the hall and showed her the bathroom. "How about you get ready for bed as well. You look tired." She added smiling. "Your toothbrush is the green one."

"Okay." Kara obliged, nodding her head. Cuddy watched her enter the bathroom before she started back down the hallway.

Cuddy stopped before she turned the corner and entered House's view, if he was looking. What had happened back there had to be a weird happenstance? Maybe House had stuck some kind of drug in the coffee to make Cuddy act like this? But wouldn't he be acting bizarre as well? She sighed and let everything go to the back of her mind. She turned the corner and looked at the couch, which was vacant. House was standing up in the living room holding his helmet. "Wait until your daughter says good night to you before you leave." She told him.

House scoffed. "You're acting as if I'm stupid. Of course I'm not going to leave without saying good night and goodbye." He said, rolling his eyes at Cuddy.

Cuddy opened her mouth to say that she really did think he was stupid but she stopped. Why she stopped even confused her. Was she scared he would have gotten offended? No, the man acted as if he had no heart so why should she worry? House and Cuddy stood in the living room, feeling very awkward for the loud silence that was floating around the room. Finally, Kara entered the room in her new pajamas. She stopped, looking between both parents. "I really thought adult conversations would be more enlightening." She said with a sigh.

House smirked at his daughter's comment. "They usually are but this is the 'we have a kid in the area' version." He told her, watching as a look of disappointment passed across her face. "I'm leaving so say good night."

Cuddy frowned at him. "You know, she has a choice. She doesn't have to say good night to you if she doesn't want too." Cuddy pointed out to him ingenuously. House scowled at her for making that painful point so apparently clear. Wouldn't his daughter want to say good night to him?

Kara walked over to him, her arms open. House smirked at Cuddy, dropping his helmet on the couch to embrace his daughter. "Good night...Dad." She said gently, using the unfamiliar word. House glanced up at Cuddy, who was in the same state of shock as he was.

"Good night, Kara. See you tomorrow." He told her, pulling away and making her look up at him. She resembled her mother in some ways and him in other ways. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He looked over at Cuddy. "Night Cuddles. Now remember, you have to behave now because you have a child with you. So no late night strippers." He shook his finger at her as Cuddy gasped, her cheeks turning red once again.

She quickly regained her composure. "You better keep your behavior up too. No porn either, mister." She advised. House turned to stare at her, a surprised smile creeping onto his lips.

"Gross!" Kara cried, covering her ears. She doubted her parents did any of that stuff but hearing it coming from their mouths just sent the wrong mental images into Kara's mind. House laughed and exited the house on his own.

Cuddy turned to Kara, smiling at Kara's grimace. "Good night, sweetheart." She told her, kissing Kara's forehead also.

"Night, Mom." She replied, hugging her before heading off to her bedroom. Cuddy watched Kara go before a warmness spread across her. Mom? She liked that name. Picking up both coffee cups, she set them in the sink and headed to her own bedroom.

Alright, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and another chapter will be coming. There's a tiny little clue of what the next chapter will be so yeah, good luck if you can figure it out!


	12. Registration

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in like a year or something! I feel really bad and that's why I have lots of updates coming soon, after this one goes well! Thanks for the reviews guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Cuddy and House get to enjoy being parents for awhile. Disclaimer: I do not own anything from House M.D. How many times do I have to tell you this!?

Chapter Twelve: Registration

The annoying beeping coming from Cuddy's alarm clock was the only thing that was keeping her from sleeping in late. Sometimes it was a whole lot of effort to get up and head to the hospital to do her duties, and yet other days she got up easily and was sort of excited to go. Cuddy turned off her alarm clock sluggishly and sat up in her bed, yawning. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered all of what happened yesterday. She had a daughter to wake up now. Kara would have to go to work with her today and then Cuddy had to get her registered into her new school. She got up quickly, fetching her robe and made her bed, stretching as she made her way to Kara's room.

Kara was sleeping peacefully in her bed and for a moment, Cuddy wished that time would freeze so she could cherish the picture forever and ever. She walked over to her Kara's bedside and sat down, bringing her hand to Kara's face and rubbing her thumb across her cheek. "Kara, honey. It's time to wake up." She said compassionately, watching as she frowned and her eyes opened gradually. Kara glanced at the clock and groaned, covering her face with the bed sheets. "I know it's early but you have to go to work with me for today."

"But I'm so tired and I just got away from the hospital. Now you're making me go back there intentionally?" Kara whined, peeking out to look at Cuddy groggily. Cuddy smiled sympathetically and nodded. Kara sighed with defeat. "Fine." She mumbled, sitting up.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Cuddy asked, standing up.

Kara shrugged. "Anything but porridge or oatmeal." Kara answered indifferently, shrugging her shoulders.

Cuddy smiled. "Alright then." Cuddy left her daughter and headed to the kitchen, smelling the coffee as she got closer to it. She poured herself a cup and got out a bowl before heading to the cupboard. She had bought some cereal earlier. Kara came out a few minutes later, looking at the bowl skeptically. "Cereal." Cuddy assured her, pouring the milk in and placing a spoon in it. Kara nodded and sat down, beginning to eat it. Cuddy watched her daughter affectionately for a moment before leaving to do her daily morning routine.

When Cuddy was about halfway finished with her routine, she entered the living room, seeing Kara flip through the channels pointlessly. "You can take a shower if you like. We're going to leave in about an hour so please be ready. And the hair dryer is underneath the sink." She urged her. Kara looked over at Cuddy and nodded. Cuddy turned around and headed back to her bathroom so she could dry her hair.

"Time to leave, Kara." Cuddy called loudly from the entrance hall, grabbing her keys out of her purse.

"Does this match?" Kara asked coming into view. Cuddy glanced over at her and smiled. She wore dark denim pants and a gold shirt with a purple, black, and gold butterfly on it. Her hair was neatly brushed and she looked somewhat cleaner than when Cuddy had first seen her as an orphan. She had found the butterfly belt as well that went good with the outfit.

"Yes, it does and you look so beautiful." Cuddy told her, about to kiss her daughter on the forehead but thought better of it and gave her a hug instead. Kara probably would not enjoy a lipstick stain on her forehead.

"Thanks." Kara murmured, her cheeks blushing the same crimson that Cuddy did when she was embarrassed. Kara put on her shoes and followed Cuddy out to the car. "Is Dad going to be there?" She asked as they both got into the car.

"If he was there this early, I'd have a heart attack." She joked, putting the car in reverse and beginning to back out of her driveway.

&

Kara sat on Cuddy's couch for about two or three hours, watching her mother do a stack of paperwork. Kara wanted to go back to sleep but she couldn't for some eccentric reason. Kara blamed it on the couch for not being comfortable enough. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, House limped in. "I'll take the Kara for two quarters and a penny, Cuddy." House said, pointing his cane at Kara.

Cuddy looked up at him oddly, raising an eyebrow. "Keep your money, I don't take charity." Cuddy told him smoothly. Kara smiled slightly but it did sort of trouble her that her parents were always quarreling. It was like a divorce without the divorce papers and the previous marriage. "Why do you want her so badly by the way?"

Kara looked over at her dad questioningly. House smiled. "I think it's appropriate to let our daughter spend time with somebody else than the devil reincarnated. I mean, we should give her a better chance to take some other afterlife place, don't you think?" He sneered. Kara fought to contain her smile.

Cuddy scowled at him. "Not funny. But yes, you can take her. Kara do you want to go with your dad to his office?" She asked, turning her burning eyes to her daughter.

"Yes please." Kara said, smiling at House as she got up and walked to him.

House gasped, sending a look of shock at Kara before looking over at Cuddy. "How dare you let our daughter say something like that?"

Cuddy looked up at him, bewildered. "You mean, please?" She asked. House nodded excruciatingly as if the word hurt him. "Grow up, House."

"Practice what you preach, Cuddy." He told her, pushing Kara out of the door before exiting himself. Cuddy rolled her eyes and continued her paperwork.

Kara followed House quietly, watching how he limped his way down the hall and towards the elevator. He pushed the button and both of them waited quietly, House staring up at the ceiling and Kara staring at him. The metal doors slid open soundlessly and they both stepped in. "Push that button." House told Kara, pointing at the numbered button. Kara obeyed.

The doors closed and the elevator began to rise. "Does it hurt?" Kara finally asked, watching cautiously. House looked down at her slightly confused. She pointed to his right leg.

"Everyday." House muttered quietly, taking his Vicodin pills out. "That's why I take these babies." He said, shaking them at her. Kara nodded and looked at the doors until they opened. "Follow me."

&

Cuddy came by House's office about a couple hours later, smiling at Kara as she played his PSP in his chair, her eyebrows furrowed with concentration. Kara looked up, pausing the game and smiled at her mother. "You hungry?" She asked, tilting her side.

Kara nodded, turning off the game. She set the PSP back on House's desk and walked up to her mother, looking up at her with House's piercing eyes. Cuddy stroked her hair before turning around and leading Kara down the hallway.

"Kidnapper!" House's voice bellowed down the hallway. Cuddy turned around, staring at House pointing his cane accusingly at her. He had just come from the conference room since Cameron, Chase, and Foreman exited the room after him, looking a bit upset and tired. Cuddy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I'm her mother. I'm allowed to take her away." Cuddy pointed out, watching him limp towards them.

"Cool. Since I'm her father, I can do that too, right?" He asked with false enthusiasm, towering over Cuddy.

"No." Cuddy answered. "I'm just taking her to the cafeteria to eat."

House gasped. "And you didn't care to ask me? Now, Cuddy, I thought you were all about teaching the kid manners?" He asked, frowning.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and sighed, looking over at Kara before looking back at House. "I guess you can join us." She said, starting forward once again. Kara watched Cuddy walk forward and glanced over at House, who had stayed put.

"Come on." She urged him, holding out her arm for him.

He gave it a skeptical look. "I'm coming', I'm coming'. What do I look like to you, some disabled person?" He snapped, shooing her forward. He frowned for a minute, glancing at his cane. "Don't answer that." He added, following Kara towards the elevator, where Cuddy was holding it open and tapping her foot impatiently.

Cuddy finally sat down, giving a cold glare at House as he sat down. Kara sat down beside House, smiling up at Cuddy but then frowning at the glare. "What's wrong?" She asked her, looking over at her father. They both had gotten the same thing. A Rueben, chips and a soda. House looked up inquisitively.

"Your father needs to learn that he can't rely on people to pay for his meals forever." Cuddy said icily, giving a final glare at House before picking up her fork. She had gotten a salad. Kara glanced at House, who shrugged at her, before turning to his meal. Cuddy brought the forkful of salad up to her mouth but stopped, looking at House and Kara with an astonished expression.

Kara and House were eating their sandwich in perfect symmetrical union. The first bite was on the right side and now the second bite was on the left. They both wiped their mouth with the back of their right hand and then took another bite right down the middle. They chewed it, swallowed it, and then picked up their drink to take a gulp at it before continuing on their sandwich. Finally, both pairs of blue eyes met her gaze. "You two are eating the same." She answered their unasked question.

Kara and House glanced at each other before turning to look at Cuddy. "We do not!" Both of them said at the exact same time. Kara and House both glanced at each other, their eyes narrowing at each other disbelievingly. House looked away finally and continued to eat, his gaze averted from Cuddy and Kara. Kara looked at her mother questionably. 'I'll tell you later.' Cuddy mouthed back. Kara returned back to her Rueben disconsolately. He acted as if he was ashamed to have some of his characteristics mirrored by her. If he was, he shouldn't have had sex with Cuddy in the first place.

At three o'clock, Cuddy came back by House's office again. House was at his desk, showing Kara something interesting on the computer. Cuddy opened the door and leaned against the frame, smiling lightly at the duo. House looked at her innocently, a small smile appearing on his lips. "And that is what I like to call some good old fashion porn." He finished, turning to look over at Kara. Cuddy straightened quickly, her eyes wide with horror. He wouldn't!

Kara's eyebrows furrowed. "But I thought it was called..." She began but House covered her mouth up before she could get the next word out. Cuddy relaxed. So he didn't do it. She would have killed him if he did. No, wait. She would fire his ass, take away all of his Vicodin, and then kill him.

"It's time." Cuddy announced, shouldering her purse. House nodded and got up, popping in two pills.

Kara frowned, watching as House joined Cuddy at the threshold. "Time for what?" She asked curiously, getting up and following them.

Cuddy and House exchanged glances, two shady smiles forming on their lips. "You'll find out soon enough." House told her.

&

Kara sat in the chair between House and Cuddy unhappily, slouching ever so slightly. House was playing with his cane and Cuddy was freshening up. It was revolting the way she admired herself in the mirror. It was like she was going to see her future husband or something. Kara's eyes drifted around the office. They were in the administration office of Princeton Academy, one of the prestigious schools of this area even if it was public. The sectary was busying herself with reading something or other, though she made quite an effort in hiding it. The school was already out and now they were just waiting to talk to Principal Keller.

Finally, the sectary looked up at them. "Principal Keller will see you now." She said amiably, pointing to the door that they were next too.

Cuddy and House stood up, glancing at Kara who stayed in her spot. "Do I really have to get a public education? You could drop me off at the orphanage every morning so I can go to school there." Kara offered weakly. She didn't want to be the new kid.

Cuddy sighed. "You're going to this school. Now, come on." She said, taking her daughter's arm and helping Kara up. Kara groaned and entered the office after House.

Principal Keller was a tall, sinewy man with graying black hair and dark eyes. He stood up, running his fingers down his three piece suit, before shaking hands with House, Kara, and Cuddy. "Hello. Please, sit." He said, sitting down in his own leather chair. House and Cuddy sat on either side of Kara. "Now, I understand that you want to enroll your daughter in Princeton Academy, am I correct?" He asked, smiling down at Kara.

"Yes, sir." Cuddy answered, setting down her purse beside her feet.

Principal Keller nodded. "Well, do you have her papers from her old school?" He asked, grabbing a pen and looking up expectantly at Cuddy and House.

They both exchanged nervous glances. "She has been an orphan all her life." Cuddy began slowly, offering a weak smile up at Principal Keller.

"And in the orphanage, their caretaker had been teaching them so she doesn't have any actual papers." House finished, looking up at Principal Keller.

His eyebrows were raised up slightly. "Oh. Okay then...so you're not Kara's biological parents then." He said, about to write something on the sheet.

"We are her biological parents." Cuddy told him quickly.

Principal Keller looked up perplexed. "We had her put up for adoption but just thirteen years later, we found her." House explained, skipping a lot of details.

"Interesting. So, what will be her last name?" He asked, writing something down before looking back up at them.

"Cuddy." Cuddy said impulsively.

"House." House said in unison with Cuddy. Both of them looked at each other. They hadn't explained what they were going to do if this certain problem came up.

Principal Keller sighed lightly, glancing at Kara. "How about we mix them both together to be creative. How about...Cuse? No, I don't like that. Uh...what about Huddy? What about Hoddy?" Kara couldn't come up with anymore since she was overtaken by the giggles. House and Cuddy smiled sheepishly at Principal Keller, who looked like he wasn't amused.

"Well, I guess, House is fine." Cuddy agreed delicately. Principal Keller nodded and scribbled stuff down for a few minutes. He finally looked up and clapped his hands together, surveying all three of them for a moment.

"Now, at Princeton Academy, we encourage our children to strive for greatness. We allow our children at least to remain a C average to stay in our school. Can your daughter manage to keep her grades up?" He asked conscientiously. Sometimes parents got affronted when he asked that question. It did make them evaluate their child's intelligence and attitude for learning. Most people accuse him of calling their child stupid.

"Both of us are doctors. Why wouldn't our child be smart?" House said irately, narrowing his eyes at Principal Keller. Who was he to judge people's intelligence? That was his job since he was smarter than most people.

Principal Keller smiled wryly at House. "Intelligence is something you don't inherit, Dr. House. Since you're a doctor, I suspected you already knew that but now, I'm not so sure." Principal Keller informed, turning his eyes back to Kara. "Are you willing to give this a try?"

Kara smirked. "I ain't had no pooblic edumacation before." She said seriously with the best hilly billy accent she could muster. The expression on Principal Keller's face was priceless.

"Kara!" Cuddy reprimanded in horror as House smirked. Smiling hesitantly at Principal Keller, she leaned closer to Kara to whisper something in her ear. "Kara, Skyler goes to this school for the record."

Kara's eyes widened. "I am so sorry, Principal Keller. I would be privileged to be accepted at your magnificent school." She apologized quickly, flashing him a smile.

Principal Keller eyed her curiously before nodding. "Alright then. You may all leave now. Kara can start school on Monday and do you happen to know her measurements so we can mail you the uniform tomorrow?" He said, shaking both of the parent's hands again.

Cuddy opened her purse and took out the slip of paper she had used to buy Kara's clothes. Kara's nose wrinkled in repugnance. School uniforms? Ugh. "Let's go." She said glancing at the clock as they all exited the principal's office.

As House and Cuddy both began to walk across the parking lot, Kara stopped, realizing something. "Mom!" She suddenly gasped, running to Cuddy quickly. Cuddy turned around and saw a sort of urgent fright in her daughter's eyes. House looked questioningly at Kara. "Skyler! I don't think she knows about me being discharged from the hospital! There's no way to communicate with her and she might be upset that I up and left the hospital without informing her first!" She exclaimed agitatedly.

Cuddy smiled. "It's alright, Kara. When her parents dropped her off, I introduced myself as your mother and we all exchanged phone numbers and addresses. If you would like, when we get home, you can call her." She assured Kara, curling some of her hair behind her ear. These things of affection just seem to come to her without her thinking much of them. They didn't seem wrong and Kara didn't mind so she guessed it was okay.

"Oh. Okay then." Kara said, nodding her head and smiling with relief. She continued to walk with her parents to Cuddy's car. "When will we get home?"

Cuddy and House exchanged glances. Both of them had to go back to work. "I can take her with me until you get off." House offered quietly. Cuddy looked at House suspiciously. "What? I get off earlier than you do. I doubt Kara wants to spend the whole day at the hospital."

Kara looked at her mother. She seemed unconvinced. "Please, Mom! It's like Foreman said, 'the hospital isn't the most exciting place in the world'." She pleaded, showing off her pitiful expression.

Cuddy sighed. "With a face like that, how can I say no?" She said smiling as her daughter hugged her tightly.

House rolled his eyes. "Women. Can't expect them to stand up to the face." He muttered acrimoniously, getting into the passenger seat.

It was Cuddy's and Kara's turn to exchange glances. "Get him." Cuddy told her quietly, heading to the driver seat as Kara hopped into the back

Alright, well, Kara's going to get together with Skyler and then…you'll find out as soon as you review please!


	13. Operation Matchmakers

Thanks for all the reviews! It really made my day! I own nothing but Skyler, Kara, and the other unimportant people! Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen: Operation Matchmakers

"Come on, kiddo." House finally said, leaning into his office succinctly to inform Kara. She got up quickly, following him out of the office and down the hall while still playing his PSP. "You're still playing that?" He asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

She frowned at him. "I've only been playing it two days! And the first day I didn't even save!" She said impertinently, scowling slightly at him and saving it. She slipped it into his pocket and followed him all the way to Cuddy's office. "But you said I could come with you!" Kara protested.

"I'm just telling your mother that I'm leaving." He assured her, throwing open the door. "We're leaving!" He yelled before turning swiftly away. Kara barely saw her mother jump in surprise before the door closed. Shaking her head, Kara continued to follow House.

As they stepped outside, Kara looked around and spotted House's motorcycle. "Mom says I'm not allowed to ride on your motorcycle just yet." She advised him, watching him pick up the helmet and turn around to her.

"What 'Mom' doesn't know, won't hurt her." House told her, placing the helmet on her head and tightening the strap as far up as possible. "It's still a bit too big but it'll be fine for now." He murmured to no one in particular.

"But," Kara protested apprehensively, glancing at the hospital.

"Why are you so worried?" House suddenly asked, frowning.

"Because I don't want to go back to the orphanage." Kara answered mellifluously, looking up at him innocently from the helmet.

House smiled and pulled Kara into a hug. "Your mother wouldn't send you back for disobeying her." He assured her. He let go of her and sat on the motorcycle. She sat behind him cagily. "Wrap your arms...yeah like that." He began; making sure his daughter was comfortable and felt secure before he turned on the motorcycle.

House opened the door to his apartment and helped Kara take off the helmet. "This is...nice." Kara said slowly, choosing her words charily. She sat down on the couch and looked up at her dad. "What now?" She asked him inquisitively.

House shrugged, closing the door before plopping down on the other side of the couch and picking up the remote. "I don't care as long as you don't interrupt me." He said, clicking on the TV to some wrestling.

"Do you have Skyler's phone number?" Kara asked, looking around for the phone. House dug in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "Thanks. Can I go into your bedroom?" She asked, picking up the phone, noticing that House had turned up the volume.

He turned his head quickly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why?" He asked frowning with suspicion.

"So screaming fans and the announcer dude won't interrupt Skyler and me talking." She answered, pouting.

"Fine." He mumbled, waving his hand at her.

Kara smiled and slipped into the bedroom, wrinkling her nose at the messy sight. She sat carefully on the edge of his unmade bed and quickly dialed the number. "Hello?" A man asked on the other line.

"Uh, hi. Is Skyler there?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, she is. May I ask who's calling?" The man told Kara.

"This is Kara."

"Oh, okay! Let me go get Skyler." There was a lot of shuffling and then muffled words before Skyler finally came on the phone.

"Hey Kara! This isn't your mom's number." She said.

"I know. I'm at my dad's." Kara answered, looking at the closed door.

"Cool. Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow? My parents are already cool with it. My dad works here at home but my mom will be gone. Okay?" Skyler asked animatedly.

"Um, let me ask my dad." Kara said, getting up. "Hold on." She set the phone down and went out into the living room and sat by him. "Dad." She began. House put up a finger, watching the TV. She paused for a few seconds before starting up again. "Dad."

House finally sighed and put the TV on mute. "Yeah?" He asked resignedly.

"Can I go over to Skyler's tomorrow?" She asked pleadingly. She gave him the face that Cuddy had told her to use on House.

"Well, I say yes but you have to ask your mother." He said, patting Kara on the cheek huskily.

"Can you call her on your cell really quick, I've got Skyler on the phone waiting for an answer?" She asked him, again using the face because it looked like House was about to reject that idea. He looked over at her and immediately his facial expression changed and he took out his phone.

It ringed for a few seconds before someone picked up. "Cuddy...calm down, calm down we're okay!" He said a bit goaded with Cuddy's frantic questions. "Kara wants to know if she can go to Skyler's house tomorrow." He asked, looking over at Kara. She seemed to be happy. So it could be something this simple that would make the child happy? This parenting thing was going to be easy! "Are Skyler's parents going to be there and have they said yes?"

"Her dad is going to be there and yes." Kara answered quickly.

House repeated the information to Cuddy. "But why...fine." He said, closing the cell quickly. Kara looked a bit worried now. "Your mother said yes but I have to take you." He assured her, placing his cell phone back in his pocket and un-muting the TV.

"Thanks!" She said, jumping up and running back to House's room and grabbing the phone. "I'll be there tomorrow."

&

Cuddy knocked on House's door loudly, wondering what was taking him so long to answer. Yes, she knew he was crippled but someone should have answered by now! She glanced at her watch before pounding on the door again. "House! Open this door!" She yelled austerely, letting her temper get the better of her. She waited for just a few more seconds before sighing, aggravated. She took out her phone about to dial House's number when she heard something from inside.

"Come in already! The door's open!" House yelled from inside. Cuddy opened the door and looked around but House or Kara weren't in the living room. She walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where House and Kara were eating pizza. "Geez, what's your problem. Most people don't try to knock down other people's doors."

Cuddy blushed slightly. "Sorry, I thought you might have taken off somewhere with Kara without telling me." She apologized, straightening herself to look dignified.

"You want some?" Kara offered, going to get another piece for herself.

"No, thanks, honey." Cuddy rejected politely, sitting down next to Kara and watching her eat. She seemed to enjoy it since it was her first time eating pizza. Kara finished up her pizza quickly, noticing the tension that her mom had around this place. "Say goodbye and thank you to your father." Cuddy reminded Kara as she started out of the door.

Kara turned around and looked up at her dad. "Bye Dad! Thanks for letting me come home with you." She said, hugging him tightly.

House smiled. "No problem. See you tomorrow." He told her, holding the door for Kara. She nodded and followed her mother out.

&

There was a loud rapping on Kara's bedroom door that made her jump awake. Confused, Kara scrambled out of bed, noticing the sunlight streaming in her bedroom. Why didn't her mother wake her up? She opened the door and looked up at her dad holding the cane up again to start rapping. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Rise and shine, you're burning daylight." He said, pointing at the window. He turned around to walk down the hallway.

"Wait, where's Mom?" She asked groggily, stifling a yawn.

"At work. Don't worry, your mother locked everything before she left and told me where I could find the spare key, even though I didn't need it." He answered with a sly wink before disappearing around the corner. Kara got ready in the accumulative of ten minutes. She found House on the couch watching something on TV. Whatever it was, she couldn't see it because he turned it off as soon as she entered the living room. "Let's go." He said, getting up slowly. He dug in his pocket and pulled out his Vicodin.

"What about breakfast?" Kara asked, looking at the kitchen forlornly.

"We'll get some on the way." He offered, opening the door and looking at her. She nodded and followed him, watching him lock the door and hide the key in the flowerpot. "Ever had a kolache before?" Kara shook her head as they walked to House's motorcycle. He turned around and fitted the helmet on her head. "You'll like them." He assured her. He sat on the motorcycle and with Kara arms wrapped around him tightly, he sped off.

"Here we are." House said as they pulled into the wide paved driveway. "You sure this is what your mother wrote?" He asked distrustfully as he got off the motorcycle and helped Kara with the helmet.

"Uh-huh! The address is the same." She answered, showing him the slip of paper that her mother had left on the counter. "That's a nice house." The house was a two story with pillars in the front and a beautiful wood and glass door. The front lawn was trimmed and the hedges were all the same length. Even the ivy growing on the stone exterior of the house seemed to be in good care. House just grunted and headed for the winding sidewalk that led to the front door.

House, instead of ringing the door, picked up his cane and began to rap against the door repetitively. Kara frowned and reached for the doorbell. House grabbed Kara's wrist with his free hand and shook his head at her. Finally, the door opened to Mr. Rivers looking sort of aggravated. "Oh, hello, Dr. House, Kara!" He said, his facial expression brightening quickly. "Please come in, come in!"

"I rather not." House said, holding out the cane so it caught Kara before she came in. Mr. Rivers' smile seemed to falter. "She'll be here all day, right?" He asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes at Mr. Rivers. He wasn't going to hand his daughter over to some irresponsible man.

"Yes, sir. I work at home so they will be watched and taken care of." He assured House. "When do you plan to pick her up?"

"I'm not sure. I, uh, have to talk to her mother. Cu...Lisa might pick her up." House answered, catching himself. He didn't know how much Mr. and Mrs. Rivers knew about Kara's family arrangements. He turned around to Kara. "Have fun. No matter what your mother tells you, manners don't get you anywhere." He planted a kiss on Kara's forehead before lifting up his cane. Mr. Rivers blinked at House's statement about manners. It was quite obvious that he didn't agree with House.

"Bye, Dad." Kara said entering the house and waving goodbye before Mr. Rivers closed the door.

"This way, sweetie." He told her, starting up the wooden staircase. Kara followed him quietly, admiring the decor that the house held. They passed by two bedrooms before finally getting the Skyler's. "Skyler, sweetheart, Kara's here." He said, knocking on the door.

The door swung open and Skyler leaped out of her bedroom and hugged Kara. "Thanks, Dad." She said, watching him walk away. He waved to her and disappeared along the hallway. "Come in." Kara obeyed, entering the large wooden room. The four poster bed was covered in a velvet crimson comforter with cream sheets underneath. For just being adopted only a few days before Kara, she had her room pretty much decorated. "You like it?"

"Geez, you're parents must be loaded." Kara murmured, collapsing on the bed and glancing over at Skyler.

She rolled her eyes. "And your point is?" She asked sighing.

"You're lucky." Kara answered, sliding off the bed and starting to go through Skyler's things.

"And how so? You found your real parents, Kara. Mine are dead. I think you're the one who's lucky." Skyler told her, shaking her head. Kara was always obstinate about these sorts of things, always telling Skyler how she was unlucky.

"At least your adopted parents are together." Kara retorted, looking up at her with calm blue eyes. Skyler stared back at Kara quietly. She was right.

"Is it that bad?" Skyler asked cautiously.

Kara shrugged. "Yes and no. They bicker a lot like divorced people but they also tone it down because I'm around." She began softly, frowning. "It's like both of them are too stubborn to admit their feelings for each other. They just hide it with more arguments."

Skyler nodded. "So that's where you get your stubbornness from."

"Hey!" Kara reached around and threw the pillow at her. Skyler barely dodged the fluffy projectile unjustly thrown at her. "So, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Reconnaissance? Blackmail? Spying?" Skyler asked, rubbing her chin contemplatively.

Kara looked at Skyler shocked. "Okay, Cruella DeVil, no Dalmatians for you!" Kara scolded, furrowing her brows at her friend.

Bewilderment appeared on Skyler's face. "I'm just trying to think like you!" She objected, pouting.

Kara laughed. "I know you are but I'm thinking something more on the lines of...Operation Matchmakers!" Kara said dramatically.

Skyler nodded. "Short and sweet. Alright, I'll help you, but since they are your parents, you have to do most of the work." Skyler offered.

"I know that. Now, before we begin our meeting, let's get something to drink. My dad bought me some kolaches but he forgot the drink." Kara said, opening Skyler's door. Skyler nodded and headed out of the room first, walking down the staircase.

"What do you want?" Skyler asked as they passed through the living room towards the arched opening. Kara noticed that everything was clean and the whole house smelled like a bunch of different cleaners. She rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen with Skyler. The sight was a very outlandish one. On the wood cabinets were labels that were obviously what was in the cabinets. Skyler opened the refrigerator and Kara stared in awe. All the liquids were in pourable containers and every other food was stored in a plastic container that was labeled.

"What kind of sick people do you live with?" Kara asked appalled.

Skyler rolled her eyes. "So sorry my parents are organized. Now, what do you want to drink?" She apologized in exasperation.

"What's that pink stuff?" Kara inquired.

"Pink lemonade. It's good." Skyler answered, twirling one of her loose strands of hair.

"I'll drink it."

&

House hadn't even reached the elevator when Cuddy hounded him. "House! Did you take her to Skyler's?" Cuddy asked agitatedly, her heels clicking against the floor. House kept walking, reaching his cane out to push the elevator button. The door opened and he stepped inside without having to stop. "House!" House turned around suddenly, almost colliding into Cuddy. She composed herself quickly and set a defiant glare his way.

"Yes, Cuddy. Stop being so paranoid." He answered tiredly, pushing his button. The doors went to close but Cuddy stopped it. "I would be much comfortable if we did it in a bed, Cuddles." He saw the fire immediately jump in her eyes at his snide remark and she scowled.

"Shut it, House! And I'm not being paranoid! I just don't want her spending all day alone and knowing you, it would be probable for you to forget her." She told him irately, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your feeble attempts at covering yourself won't work." He advised her, watching as the doors went to close again but she pushed them back. Slowly, his eyebrows began to rise.

"You are despicable. Can you ever stop thinking about sex and just be a grown up for once? Honestly, House, you wonder..." She fussed. As she talked her cheeks were turning red. House tilted his head slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?" House stepped forward breaking the unwritten law of personal space. Cuddy's eyes widened and she stepped back. House backed up and the doors closed, leaving Cuddy puzzled by House's questionable behavior. She would never understand him. Shaking her head, she headed towards her office, locking herself in.

Cuddy desperately tried to work on all of her paperwork but it was impossible. Her mind kept on wandering towards House. "You're being silly, Lisa. You have a lot of paperwork to do and then more afterwards, so stop thinking about him." She told herself, clicking her pen once more. Her eyes drifted to the fine print of the paper but House's startling azure eyes stared back at her from the paper. She shook her head and stood up, going towards her window. "What did you expect? Did you expect everything to change once Kara was rightfully home? I'm over House. He's just a phase and nothing more than that." She assured herself. There was more fish in the sea. Sure, she was a bit older but that wouldn't change a thing, would it? She sighed defeated and collapsed in her office chair, glaring at the evil stacks of paperwork that mocked her. She grabbed her pen and chewed on the end fretfully. She wasn't paranoid. She just knew House and his lack of remembering skills, though he seemed to remember every indecent time or something of the sort. She dropped her pen and placed her head in her hands, groaning. Why did House always seem to give her headaches?

&

"So let me get this straight," Skyler said, placing her cup on her bedside table, "You can tell that both of your parents are still in love with each other but are either to scared to admit it or don't want to bring down their pride in doing so?" A bizarre look was plastered on Skyler's face. "Why do adults have to be so difficult sometimes? Can't they ever just do things the simple way instead of worrying about what the other will do or say?"

Kara shrugged. "They are adults. They are the ones who think they are more intelligent than us kids, but let me tell you, they've got it all wrong. Wars weren't started by kids. No, siree, it was adults." Kara told her sadly.

"Okay, let's hold on the politics category, Kara. We're talking about adults and their love lives." Skyler advised her, frowning. Kara nodded and placed her drink besides Skyler before sprawling out on the bed. Skyler followed suit. "What do we do if we like somebody?"

"We tell our friends and either they tell them or we tell them." Kara supplied.

"And if they told us they didn't like us, what did we do?" Skyler asked.

"We punch them." Kara answered happily, grinning from ear to ear.

"No!" Skyler corrected in horror, looking at Kara as if she was crazy. "We go on with life."

"That too." Kara muttered, rolling her eyes. "You didn't let me finish."

Skyler sighed tiredly and continued. "Adults spend their whole time worrying and stuff. They just need to take a breath and do it. Be spontaneous!" She looked over at Kara. "We've got a lot of work to do, Kara. Are you sure your parents are in love with each other and I mean really in love?"

"I stake my life on it. No, scratch that, I'd stake your life on it." Kara said genuinely, her eyes turning that beautiful cerulean blue that looked more like Cuddy's eyes than House's at the moment.

Skyler scowled. "I'm so glad that you would put my life on the line." She told her sarcastically.

Kara smiled. "That's the bond of our friendship." She said tearfully, doing a fake sniffle. It was Skyler's turn to pick up the forgotten pillow and throw it at Kara. Kara tried to dodge the flying pillow but she failed miserably as the pillow hit in square in the face. She threw the pillow on the floor, glaring up at Skyler. "Some friend you are."

Skyler smirked. "That's the bond of our friendship." She mocked before entering a giggle fit. The look on Kara's face was priceless. Kara was right though; Skyler was acting more like her than before. And the scary part was, Skyler didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "So, here's what you need to do. You need to evaluate your parents' strengths and weaknesses. Basically you need to spy on them secretly. After a few days of that, we should know what needs to be done to get your parents together forever." Skyler made a heart shape with both of her hands. Kara rolled her eyes and smirked. Spying should be quite fun as long as her parents didn't end up doing anything that she didn't want to see.

Operation Matchmakers is a go! Please review and another update will be on the way!


	14. First Day of School

Ya'll should love me for updating this so fast. I'm never this fast. Anyway, I don't own anything from House M.D.. All I own is Kara and Skyler and some other people. Please enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen: First Day of School

"Kara, your mother is here to pick you up!" Skyler's father called from downstairs, catching both girls' attention. Both of them groaned and slowly got up and headed downstairs. At the door, Cuddy and Skyler's father stood silently, watching both of them. Kara and Skyler walked down the stairs and hugged each other.

"I'll see you at school on Monday, okay? And remember the OMM." Skyler said, pulling herself away from Kara and standing beside her dad.

"Okay." Kara told her, waving at Skyler's father before heading out of the door with her mother. They got in the car and before Kara knew it, Skyler's house was out of view. Kara looked out of the car quietly before looking back at her mother. "Are you mad?" She asked restlessly. Ms. Charles always did the quiet treatment before Kara got punished.

Cuddy looked over at Kara surprised. "No, dear. Why do you think that?" She asked.

Kara looked away shamefacedly. "Ms. Charles would always get really quiet before she punished me." She explained.

Cuddy chuckled. "No, you're not in any trouble. Did you have any fun at Skyler's?" She asked instead.

"Yeah, I did. Thanks for letting me go over there." Kara told her, nodding her head.

Cuddy smiled affectionately. "You're welcome. Now, let's go see if that uniform is at home." Kara groaned and slumped in her seat. Why did her mother have to remind her about those dreadful uniforms? Kids had to express their individuality! If they didn't, how could they be the best that they could be?

&

Sunday went by so quickly that Kara wished it would come back. Monday meant school and uniforms, which every kid reviled. Kara wished that she had a watch that could either stop time or fast forward so she wouldn't have to go to school. That wish didn't come true and morning arrived all too soon. "Kara, honey, time to get up for school." Cuddy said shaking her head as the child wriggled herself deeper into the twisted sheets. Cuddy flipped the light switch on and turned to look at her daughter once more. "Your father's coming shortly. We're both going to see you off for your first day of school." She added before turning around and leaving the room. So her daughter wasn't going to kindergarten but Cuddy and House should still be there to support their daughter.

Kara dazedly sat up, glaring at the ceiling. "Curse Thomas Edison for making the light bulb." She grumbled unhappily, getting out of bed and heading towards the kitchen. A plate of eggs, bacon, and toast sat on the table in front of her. Kara looked up at Cuddy skeptically. "Why the sudden effort?"

Cuddy frowned slightly. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It jumpstarts your metabolism and gets your mind working." She explained, watching as Kara picked up the piece of toast carefully.

"So it's going to make me work better in the morning?" She asked guardedly. Cuddy nodded. "Mind if I skip breakfast?"

"Eat." Cuddy told her, smirking at her daughter's behavior. Kara reminded Cuddy of a mild college aged Gregory House. She picked up her fork and began to eat the breakfast. "Orange juice or milk?"

"Milk, please." Kara said, her answer muffled by all the food in her mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Kara. That's very unlady like." Cuddy fussed as she turned to the refrigerator. "And don't stick your tongue out at me with food on it either. You're just like your father was except he was in college." She said as Kara started to open her mouth behind Cuddy's back. "And no, I don't have eyes in the back of my head. I just use my brain." She turned around and smiled at the flabbergasted expression on her daughter's face. "I'm not a Dean of Medicine for nothing, you know."

"Nothing can get by you." Kara told her, using her fingers to pick up some eggs that didn't make it on to her fork.

"You have bread. And yes, I know your fingers are used for picking up things but you weren't born in a cave. You are civilized and you shall use your fingers to pick up your utensils and bread." Cuddy said smiling happily.

"I give!" Kara cried, grabbing her bread and using that to help get food on the fork. Cuddy smiled and turned back to the stove.

House came in a few minutes later going straight for Cuddy's coffee maker. "Breakfast is on the table if you want it, House." Cuddy told him, watching him grab a mug and pour himself some coffee without asking. House grunted at her and made his way to the table, sitting opposite of Cuddy.

"Careful, she knows every move you're going to make." Kara warned him. House looked at Kara strangely, his mind obviously not in full processing mode since he seemed to not understand a word that Kara had said. He should have listened to her though since Cuddy snapped at him twice as much as she did to Kara.

"Go ahead and get ready, dear while I educate your father on his table manners." She told her, smiling tenderly at Kara before glaring at House. Kara nodded and wiped her mouth, getting up and walked out of the kitchen. She stopped suddenly, realizing this would be an opportune moment to eavesdrop on the parents. She snuck to her room and closed the door whilst she was still on the outside. She quickly snuck back to the hall. "She is unquestionably your child." Cuddy said as she heard the door close.

House looked up at Cuddy, chewing his eggs slowly, savoring the taste. It wasn't everyday that he got a hot breakfast, unless he was letting Wilson live with him. "Were you thinking otherwise?" He asked.

"Swallow your food and no, I wasn't. I'm just saying she's like you in more ways than one. She's like a miniature you except she's the girl version." She explained quickly.

House eyed Cuddy carefully. "You're jealous, aren't you?" He asked, leaning forward. He pointed his fork accusingly at her.

Her cheeks turned a light pink. "What's there to be jealous of?" She asked instead, crossing her arms and looking off towards the clock.

House laughed taking a sip of his coffee. "You're jealous that Kara's acting more like me than she is you."

Cuddy's cheeks turned a darker pink. "No I'm not! Stop acting juvenile, House. You know that's not me." She told him heatedly, furrowing her eyebrows at him. Her heels were tapping against the floor agitatedly. House grunted and stuffed some more food in his mouth. Cuddy looked over at the doorway and frowned slightly. "Kara?"

Kara quickly came out of hiding, forcing herself not to pull out the innocent face. "Where's the uniform?" She asked nonchalantly, as if she just walked over to the kitchen.

"I put it in your closet." Cuddy answered. Kara nodded and quickly headed to her room. That was a close one.

&

Kara stood in front of Cuddy's full length mirror inelegantly, glancing at her parents before looking back at herself. "I don't really have to go to school wearing this, do I?" She asked miserably, looking down at the clothing. The uniform consisted of a pressed white collared, half-sleeved shirt with a plaid navy blue, white, and black scarf. Then a navy jacket on top with the school's emblem on the right side of the jacket. A long plaid skirt like the scarf that ended about Kara's knees, long navy socks, and black shoes. Her mother brushed her hair and put in it a tight ponytail and applied some natural makeup and gloss to her lips.

"It's not that bad, sweetie. You look so adorable though. All the boys won't be able to keep their eyes off of you." Cuddy said joyfully.

House looked at Cuddy apprehensively before looking back at Kara. "Wash your face." House told her.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at House. "Oh please, I doubt thirteen year old boys all think about sex. They are still fascinated by women's breasts." She assured him, touching Kara's head as she walked closer to her parents.

House frowned. "I was a thirteen year old boy before. You obviously don't know anything about them." House chided, crossing his arms.

Kara looked up at her parents. "Let's go back to the subject of me looking pretty." Kara told them. Cuddy smiled and kissed her daughter's head.

"Come on, go get your school stuff and meet us at the car." Cuddy told her, pushing her lightly out of the room. Kara nodded and left. Cuddy walked the opposite direction, hearing House walk behind her slowly. "Stop staring at my ass." She told him, turning around quickly and seeing him jerk his head up. She grinned. "You see, I know how thirteen year old boys are because you still act like one, House."

House raised an eyebrow at her mockingly. "Well, that's only because you're happy to flaunt your body parts into other's visions." He told her, going past her with a smirk. Cuddy glared at him and followed him.

As she passed him going to the driver's seat, she gave him a cold glare. "I do not flaunt. Your eyes seek." She told him briskly. Kara exited the house after that, locking the door as she was told before heading to the backseat. The drive to Princeton Academy was a long and quiet one. Kara cursed herself for not getting to the car quick enough. Finally, the large school appeared and Cuddy parked in front of the school, where all the kids here hanging around waiting for the bell to ring. Kara peered around and got sight of Skyler near the oak tree, talking to a group of kids. "Here we are." Cuddy said brightly, unbuckling herself and turning around in her seat. House didn't even buckle himself in to begin with.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to try to home school me? You're both doctors. You guys are smart." She offered feebly.

"Sorry, kiddo. We doctors are very busy saving precious lives." House told her sympathetically.

"School's not scary at all. It's sort of fun." Cuddy offered her.

House looked at Cuddy skeptically. "Only if you're from teacher's pet land." He said, rolling his eyes. "Look, you'll do fine. Now, get out of the vehicle. Your mother and I have to go to work."

Kara took a deep breath and looked out the window again. "Bye, honey. We love you. Make good choices and don't be like your father." Cuddy said quickly before Kara opened her door. Kara looked over at her mother inquisitively.

House scowled. "Don't listen to your mother, Kara. If any of those boys bother you, just punch them in the nose." He offered happily grinning at the horrified look on Cuddy's face.

Kara rolled her eyes. "I'll be what I want to be." She said snappily, causing both parents look at her. She lowered herself a bit. "I mean, uh, bye Mom, bye Dad, love you!" She muttered quickly, opening the car door.

"Unbuckle yourself!" House started but watched as Kara was pulled back into the seat. He failed to suppress his laughter. Cuddy scowled at him with disapproval.

Kara unbuckled herself and exited the car. "If you really love me," She began, holding the car door open.

"Go." Both Cuddy and House snapped at her.

Kara frowned and closed the door, turning around and looking at the schoolyard. Skyler waved over at her and Kara slowly trudged towards Skyler. Her group of friends consisted of one boy and one girl, excluding Skyler. Kara swore that there had been more when she saw them in the car. The boys' uniform was hardly any different except that they wore a tie and navy pants. "Guys, this is my best friend Kara. Kara, these are my new friends Carissa and Riley." She introduced quickly. Carissa looked a lot like Skyler in a way except Carissa had green eyes instead of Skyler's ocher eyes. Riley had reddish brown hair and dark eyes and he was taller than all of them.

"Hi, Kara! I've heard a lot about you. Skyler talks about you quite highly. So I understand that you were an orphan like Skyler was?" Carissa gushed quickly, smiling brightly all the while. It seemed that Carissa had the innocent blonde image working for her. Kara was going to have to get use to Carissa. It was the type of stupid blonde people that made Kara want to deck them but Carissa seemed like a nice girl.

"Yeah." Kara answered apathetically.

"So, what's your schedule?" Riley asked instead.

Kara pulled that out of her jacket pocket. That had came in the mail on Saturday as well. Her mother had forgotten to get the mail until Sunday. She handed it over to Riley and watched as Carissa and Skyler looked over his shoulders. "You've got first period, homeroom, third period, and seventh period with me." Riley told her.

"Just second and seventh period with me." Carissa said sadly.

"First, fourth, fifth, and seventh with me." Skyler announced. "Carissa and I have homeroom across from Riley and you so we'll see each other in the hallway. But you got sixth period all by yourself."

Kara sighed and heard the bell ring. "Oh joy." She said unhappily, turning towards the school.

"Come on, we'll show you where your locker is." Skyler said, grabbing the extra material of Kara's jacket and beginning to pull her towards the school.

&

First period ended up being English. The school kept that kind of old feeling in it since most of the furniture and stuff were made out of dark wood. The first teacher was Mr. Lasseder and he had a hideous comb over with his thinning brown hair. He wore large, bug-eyed glasses and seemed to squint every time he was looking at someone. "Attention, class. We have another new student today. Her name is Kara House. Kara, would you like to share something with the class?" He began.

Kara slumped in her seat, pink tingeing her cheeks slightly. "I'd rather not." She muttered quietly. Besides her, Riley and Skyler both smirked.

Mr. Lasseder smiled. "Well, you can talk to the class for a few minutes or you can write a two page paper. Which one would you prefer?" He asked happily, bending slightly to look at her.

Kara smiled. "Talking is fine." She said with a nervous laugh.

"That's good; now please go to the front." He told her.

Kara groaned inwardly and walked to the front of the class before turning around to face them. "I'm Kara House. I use to be an orphan until I went to a clinic to get my daily checkup." She began, looking over at the teacher. He didn't make any impression to tell Kara stop so Kara turned back to the class. "I kept on getting these constant headaches and sore throats all the time. I really didn't think anything of it until the day I went to the clinic." Kara glanced over at Skyler, who smiled. "Skyler and I met this really mean doctor named Dr. House and this bossy Dean of Medicine, Dr. Cuddy. While I was there, I ended up getting really sick and I was put under the care of Dr. House. Not only did he find out what was wrong with me, he also found out that Dr. Cuddy and him were my biological parents. So, they ended up adopting me which led me to here." Kara finished.

"That's an interesting story. What did you end up having?" He asked, watching Kara sit back in her seat.

"Lyme disease." Kara answered.

He nodded. "Thank you for that enlightening story. Alright class, take out Friday's assignment and pass it up front." He said.

The other teachers didn't make Kara stand up and talk to the class. It was almost as if they didn't even notice she was the new girl. Once she had to explain to the teacher that today was her first day because the teacher asked why she didn't have twenty two sheets of homework. Homeroom was basically like study hall and that was also when the school did assemblies. Second period was History, third was Science, fourth was arithmetic, fifth was athletics, sixth was work period in the school, and seventh was music class. Work period just meant that the students would help out around the school. Wash floors, hand out papers, shelf books, wash dishes, etc.

The day finally was coming to an end and seventh period was left. "Ms. Kasper and Mr. S are really cool teachers. Ms. Kasper teaches the choir and Mr. S is with the orchestra. The class splits up and half goes to orchestra and half goes to choir. Everyone has to do both." Skyler explained.

"Orchestra is okay but choir is horrible." Riley added, looking forlornly at the exit door before turning back to the hallway.

"I enjoy choir more. It's fun." Carissa told Riley, opening the auditorium door. Kids were already sitting in the front of the auditorium, relaxing in the plush blue chairs that the auditorium had.

Skyler shrugged. "I don't really care which one. I like them both." She said, picking the left side. She looked at Kara. "Good thing, Ms. Charles taught us how to play some instruments. Mr. S says that I'm pretty good on the flute."

Kara nodded. "Do they have a piano? I say that's the one instrument I can play really good on." Kara said. "You know, I saw a piano at my dad's place. I think I get my music skills from him."

Skyler nodded. "Cool." She was able to say before two teachers came on to the stage.

"Good afternoon, class. We will have a lovely time today. Mr. S is going to take the right side and I'm going to take the left side. Now, get up and go to your stations." Ms. Kasper said contentedly, clapping her hands together. She looked more like an art teacher than a music teacher. The left side got up and began to get up on stage, pass all the chairs, and into another room with those moveable bleachers in it. "Sopranos on the right, altos in the middle, basses on the left." She quickly said, turning to Kara. "Hello, my dear. Do you know which group you are suppose to be in?" Kara looked over at the bleaches, seeing Riley and Skyler in the alto area and Carissa in the soprano.

"Um, no." Kara said.

"Then repeat after me. La, la, la, la, la, la, la." She sang quickly, waving her instructor's wand wildly.

Kara eyed everyone in the bleachers before taking a deep breath. "La, la, la, la, la, la, la." She repeated quietly.

"Breathe from your diaphragm, dearie!" She said, hitting Kara in the stomach lightly. Kara rolled her eyes and repeated it again. "You're an alto but sing louder next time." She said, pointing to the altos. Kara let out a sigh of relief and joined Riley and Skyler. Fifteen minutes were devoted to the scales and then fifteen minute was used on learning 'Somebody to Love'. Finally, Ms. Kasper dismissed them and Skyler lead Kara to the stage again.

"Grab your instruments from the room and come here quickly." Mr. S informed us insipidly.

Skyler turned to Kara. "Go introduce yourself. I have to get my flute." She said, pushing Kara towards Mr. S before heading to the right of the stage.

Kara slowly walked towards Mr. S. He was really tall and had lots of blonde hair. "You're the new girl, right?" Mr. S asked as he turned around and looked at her. "What instrument do you think you can play?"

"Ms. Charles taught me how to play the piano. She said I had a natural talent for it." Kara told him quietly, folding her hands behind her back. Mr. S looked somewhat surprised.

"I hadn't had anybody able to play the piano in awhile. You think you're good enough for it?" He said. "Humph. We'll see about that. I'm always persnickety about my piano players." He walked over to the piano on the side of the stage and threw off the blanket that was covering it. He opened it up and motioned for Kara to join him. An old music sheet lay on top of the wooden piano and Mr. S grabbed that and placed it in front of her. "Play that and you can play my piano." Kara nodded and sat on the bench, looking at the music sheet. She placed her fingers on the ivory keys and let her fingers fly on the keys as she stared at the music sheet. It was an old piece of music that Kara hadn't heard before, yet she sounded like a pro when she tried. Kara probably didn't get halfway through it before Mr. S took the sheet back. "Good. I needed a piano player badly." He told her, smiling down at her before looking over at the class.

Kara saw Skyler seated in front, looking back at her. She gave Kara a thumbs up before turning her attention back to Mr. S. Kara was thankful that they weren't playing the music of 'Somebody to Love' because she swore if she heard that song one more time she'd scream. Carissa was playing the violin and Riley was percussion. Kara had to admit that she like Orchestra better than Choir. Finally, the bell that dismissed school rang all too soon. Kara let her hands drop to her lap listening to the last words of Mr. S before closing the piano.

Kara took out all of her homework stuff for tonight out of her locker before turning to look at Carissa, Riley, and Skyler. All four of them had lockers apart from each other so they just went to each other's lockers together. "Well, I guess I'll see you three tomorrow then?" Kara asked hesitantly, wringing her wrists somewhat apprehensively. They all nodded and turned to exit the school.

"That's my dad. See you later!" Carissa said as soon as they walked on the grass outside.

"There's my parents." Riley also pointed out, looking in the opposite direction. They both waved and headed off in their separate directions, leaving Kara and Skyler alone.

"So?" Skyler asked eagerly as soon as both Riley and Carissa were out of earshot.

Kara shrugged unenthusiastically. "Riley and Carissa are nice, but I don't think they'll ever reach the same level as you." She told her.

Skyler smiled at Kara. "Of course they won't. We share a special bond, Kara. We got something they can't try to give. That's my mom. Are you sure your parents are coming?" Skyler said.

Kara nodded, looking confident. "My parents won't forget me." She told her. Skyler nodded and headed towards her mother's van. As Kara watched Skyler leave, a cold pit began to start down in her stomach. Her parents wouldn't forget her, would they? She didn't even know the hospital's number! She looked around worriedly and gave a sigh of relief as her mother's vehicle pulled into view. Kara shouldered her backpack and headed over to the car.

She slid in but paused, looking at Cuddy and House who were looking at her expectantly. Kara buckled herself in and stared at them boorishly. "So, how was school?" Cuddy finally said.

Kara shrugged, glancing at her backpack. "Okay, I guess." She said indifferently. "I got homework."

Cuddy and House slowly turned around and faced the windshield. "Thanks for the revealing aspects of your first day of school." House told Kara sarcastically.

Kara smirked. "Anytime." She told him. A small smile graced Cuddy's lips. "So where we going now?"

"Back to the hospital. You're father and I still have to work. You can work on your homework." Cuddy answered.

"So, the hospital is going to be like my third home?" Kara asked resignedly.

Cuddy looked up at the rearview mirror. "Third?"

"Yeah, I've got Mom's house, Dad's house, and the hospital." Kara informed them, looking out the window. Cuddy and House glanced at each other guiltily before Cuddy quickly averted her gaze back to the road. The rest of the trip was quiet.

There we go! Keep those reviews coming and the updates will come!


	15. The Secret Is Out

All right, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I believe this is fast enough, right? If you agree, give me virtual high-fives!

Chapter Fifteen: The Secret Is Out

Kara sat in the conference room with House, tapping her pencil's eraser against her nose. She glanced over at House who was sitting across from her, his feet propped up on the table and his concentration zoomed in on his video game. Kara took her watchful gaze off of House and to outside of the conference room. "Homework first." House suddenly said, still playing on his game. Kara looked up at him wondering how he could have known that she was not doing her homework. She looked back at her work and groaned inwardly.

"I can't." Kara finally said, letting her face rest on the table.

House sighed and turned off his game, getting up just as the door opened to Cameron, Chase, and Foreman. "It's not an infection, House. It has to be something else other than an infection. Maybe it's drugs." Foreman said as he entered the room last.

"It could be an STD." Cameron offered.

House looked up at them. "Child." House stated glancing carefully at Kara. Kara was now looking up at the three intruders and listening to them attentively. House wasn't sure how far her sexual education expanded but if it was short House was going to keep it that way as long as he could. "Go ask your mother for help and don't tell her you're done with your homework." House said, shooing Kara off.

Kara moaned despondently and scooped up her things. "I'm thirteen! I'm not a child." She mentioned.

"I'm the adult which makes you still child. Now, go." House told her, opening the conference room's door and pushing Kara out.

Kara sighed dolefully and headed off to her mother's office. She entered the office and looked around seeing that her mother wasn't in there. She sat in the seat and placed her work on the desk. She sighed and glanced at her evil homework. The door opened and Wilson walked in. "Hello, Kara. I guess you have no clue where your mother is either?" He asked after taking a quick glance around the office.

"Nope." She sighed, putting her face in her right hand.

Wilson nodded and pushed the door open but stopped seeing the look on Kara's face. "Having trouble with your homework?" He asked, smiling nervously as he walked towards the desk.

"Uh huh. I got to write a rough draft by Wednesday about how we appreciate family." Kara said, looking up at him.

"Oh, well that shouldn't be too hard." He offered her encouragingly.

"It is! Family means people are married and they care for their child together. I can't appreciate family if I don't have one." Kara told him seriously, looking up at Wilson with questioning eyes. Wilson, for a moment, was speechless because Kara actually believed what she said. He knew she was an orphan and probably didn't understand much about family, but he would have never thought that she would say something like that.

"Kara, that's not what family is." He said dismayed. She looked up at him confused. "Family is the people who love you. They don't have to be married to still be required as family. Your mother and your father love you very much. That's all that counts in a family." He explained.

"Oh! That makes a whole lot of sense now." Kara said surprised. "Thanks, Wilson!"

Wilson smiled. "Your welcome, Kara." The door opened to Cuddy. "Cuddy, I need to ask you something." He began, his eyes looking over at Kara as she began to write on her lined paper. "Privately."

Cuddy nodded and stepped out of the office hastily as Wilson followed. Kara looked up at the door just for a moment before turning back to her paper.

&

Cuddy's door opened and House waltzed inside the best he could. Kara was done with her homework and was now sitting on the couch looking quite bored. "Yes, House?" She asked him despairingly, setting down her pen carefully.

"I need to speak with you." He said vaguely, narrowing his eyes at her as if to send a mental message of how urgent it was.

Cuddy sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back." She told Kara before following House out of the office. Kara frowned before jumping up and heading towards the door. Her parents were next to the door. "Alright, what's the emergency?" She asked. Kara covered her mouth to make sure they didn't hear her breathing.

"It's Kara." House whispered hoarsely.

Cuddy frowned worriedly. "What about her?"

Kara could hear House whispering something to Cuddy. She pressed her ear against the door desperately. They were making this eavesdropping thing harder than it should have been. She heard her mother gasp. "He didn't want to tell you." Kara frowned tentatively. What were they talking about?

"Oh my god, House! What are we...?" Cuddy asked frenetically.

"Calm down." He quickly interrupted, unsure what Cuddy was able to do if she had a meltdown.

"Calm down? Calm Down? How can I calm down, House? Our..." Cuddy began irritably, her cerulean eyes dark with her anger.

"Shh! Try not to tell the people in Asia about our problems as well." He hissed, his brows furrowing at her. Maybe Wilson was right. Cuddy really didn't need to know that Kara didn't think of them as a family.

Cuddy opened her mouth to say something but she stopped herself. Sighing frustratingly, she rubbed her temples. "What are we going to do?" She asked, looking up at him tearfully.

"I...don't know." House said sadly, looking up at the ceiling hopelessly. He never realized that this parenting thing was going to be harder than it looked. When it was other people's children, it didn't matter. He didn't care what he said or made them believe. But now it was his child and that brought a whole lot of weight on his shoulders. "We better talk about this later." He decided, grabbing the doorknob and twisting it. Kara didn't even have time to move as House open the door without a thought. The door smacked Kara in the face hard, causing her to fall over on the floor. Because the door hit her nose, tears instantly formed and she touched her face painfully.

"House!" Cuddy cried, rushing inside and bending down to her daughter. "Oh honey, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, helping Kara sit up as she pried Kara's hands off her face. She inspected Kara's nose and face carefully.

"What were you doing right next to the door?" House asked instead frowning.

Cuddy glared up at him. "I wanted to go to the bathroom." Kara answered quickly, blinking back her unshed tears and getting back up. It was a lousy excuse but it was the first thing that had popped up in her mind. "I...I was about to open the door but..." She trailed off for a more dramatic effect. It seemed to work on her mother.

"Say you're sorry." Cuddy demanded, her caring gaze turning into one of the most evil gaze a woman could ever give a man.

House frowned. "It was an accident. At least she's okay." He said, giving a small smile towards Kara before straightening up. "Time to go home with me, kiddo. Your mother will pick you up later like last time." He added. Kara looked up inquisitively at her father. Why wouldn't he say he was sorry? Would it demote his pride that much? Kara and Cuddy stood up together. Kara nodded and headed to get her backpack off the couch. Cuddy rolled her eyes and headed back to her desk. "Come on, kiddo. We'll stop by the bathroom on our way out." He added.

&

House watched Kara from the kitchen as she flipped through the TV channels aimlessly. He felt guilty for what had happened earlier. First for Kara not thinking they were family and then for hitting her right in the nose. He sighed and limped into the living room, holding out a soda for her. "Thanks." She told him, taking it from him and opening it.

House sighed and sat down beside Kara. "Kara," He began slowly, grabbing the remote from her and turned the volume down. It looked as if she had finally found a decent show to watch. She looked up at him questioningly, holding the can in her hands. "Honey, you know your mother and I love you very much, right?" He felt so awkward asking her these questions. He wasn't the paternal kind but it felt as if he was suppose to do this.

Kara raised an eyebrow uncertainly but answered the way she was expected to answer that question. "Yes." She bite back her other response which was something on the line of 'Of course I know you love me. You sent me to an orphanage. That's really deep love.'

A hesitant smile appeared on House's lips. "Okay, I just wanted you to know that." He said, unsure of what else to say. He put his arms around Kara and hugged her tightly.

"Dad!" Kara warned, trying to pull away quickly but House didn't let her go. Kara felt the can being squished between both of their bodies before the cold liquid spilled out and dripped down their clothing. "Oopsie." Kara muttered as House pulled her way to inspect what had just happened.

House looked at the squished can in Kara's hand before looking at his daughter's face. "It's...okay." He assured her, getting up and taking the can away from her. Kara looked down at her soda stained uniform.

"Dad, what about my uniform? It's all sticky and brown." She asked unhappily.

House looked back and took a deep breath, puckering his cheeks out. "We can wash it." He offered.

"But I have nothing to wear." Kara told him. She didn't want to end up naked in front of her dad, that would be just horribly wrong.

"Take one of my shirts, honey. You can wear them while I wash your uniform." He said disappearing back into the kitchen. Kara shifted uncomfortably before heading to her dad's room in search of a new shirt to wear. Did her dad even know how to wash clothes?

Someone knocked on the door around the same time as last time before the doorknob turned and Cuddy entered the room hesitantly. "House, don't you ever lock your door?" She asked him, closing it behind her. She looked over at Kara. "Kara, why are you wearing on of your father's shirts?" She turned to look at House as if he had something to do with it.

"Dad hugged me and it squished all the soda onto my uniform so he's washing it." Kara answered when her father ignored Cuddy and turned up the volume.

Cuddy turned to look at House uneasily before going over to the television and turning it off manually. "Hey! My house, my TV!" House said angrily, reaching for the remote.

"Did you follow the directions on the uniform?" She asked, standing in the way of the television as it turned on.

"Of course I did. I wash my own clothes. I'm not stupid." He told her quickly. "Now move your rotund ass out of my way." He snapped. He suddenly winced realizing his daughter was in the same room as him, but more importantly that she was right next to him.

Cuddy's eyes widened and looked as if she was going to strangle him. For a moment, everything was deadly quiet and then the dryer beeped loudly. Cuddy finally turned her glare to the dryer and stalked over to it, pulling the dried uniform out and inspecting it. House slumped slightly in his seat, lowering the volume, knowing he was in trouble for cussing in front of his child. He glanced over at Kara. Her eyebrows were raised slightly in some sort of amused humor or shocked.

"It looks the same. Good job." She told him, holding out the uniform for her daughter to change. Kara took it slowly from her mom, standing up and giving two glances to her parents before heading to House's bedroom to change. After closing the door, she pulled the shirt off of her and flattened herself against the door, trying to hear anything. She suddenly heard a yelp from her dad. "What did I say about your language?" Cuddy snapped vituperatively.

"She's not a little girl anymore, Cuddy. You can't baby her for the rest of her life. She's thirteen. She will probably hear worse things at school then what comes out of my mouth." House advised her brusquely.

"That's not the point. So she hears it from other kids. You are her father. She looks up to you to even if you think she doesn't. She even might not admit it because it's not the smartest thing to do but every kid does it to their parents anyway." Cuddy said darkly before tapping her foot impatiently. "Honey, are you changed?"

"Almost." Kara said, backing away from the door and scrambling to get the uniform on. She buttoned up the shirt and threw on her skirt and jacket before walking out of the room. "I'm done." She announced loudly.

"Come on, Kara, let's go home. Have you eaten yet?" Cuddy said, her voice still tense from the conversation with House. Kara shook her head. Cuddy nodded and put her arm around her daughter as they walked out. "Lock your door from now on." She added before closing the door, leaving House to sit in the quiet living room by himself.

&

School went by faster than yesterday and before Kara knew it, she was back in her father's conference room, working on arithmetic. House's cell was lying by her things and no one else was in the room. Her father had to do some urgent 'doctor stuff' and told her that if she needed anything to call Wilson's cell to reach him or bother her mother during her meeting with one of the hospital's money donors. Kara was working diligently which surprised her. This math subject was easier then Kara thought it would be. Suddenly, the cell began to vibrate, moving on the table.

Kara picked up the phone and read the caller ID. The number was an unknown one but Kara, being the curious person she was, answered it anyway. "Hello?" She asked uncertainly, glancing around to see if her dad was just playing a joke on her.

A woman's voice was on the other line. "Who's this and why do you have my son's phone?" The woman demanded with an authoritative voice.

Kara frowned. Son? "I'm Kara. Who's your son?" She asked.

"Gregory House." The woman began quickly.

Kara's eyes widened. If this woman claimed that her father was her son, then that must make her Kara's grandmother! "That's my dad." She pointed out, interrupting the woman. She quieted. "So that must make you my grandmother." She heard something on the other line which sounded like the woman fainted before the line went dead.

The door to the conference room opened and House stepped in, watching Kara curiously as she was frowning at the phone. "I'm right here, Kara. No need to call me now." He told her, holding his hand out to grab the phone away from her.

"I wasn't calling Wilson. Someone called you." She informed him quietly giving him his cell phone.

"Oh? Who was it?" House placed the phone in his pocket and glanced at her homework. She had made progress since he last left her.

"I think it was my grandmother or your mom." She answered smiling up at him. House's face paled slightly as his phone began to vibrate again. He itched to pick up the phone and tell his mother that it was a joke, but he couldn't do that in front of his child. He pressed his hand against the phone quickly in some way hoping that it would muffle the sound coming from it. Kara didn't hear it since she turned back to her homework. "Dad, I need help, how do you start that problem."

House looked at it quickly. "It's forty-eight." He answered quickly. "I'm going to the bathroom real quick." He turned and limped out of the room as fast as he could without causing Kara to think it wasn't a bathroom break.

Kara frowned as her dad disappeared. "I need to know how to get to that answer too." She mumbled unhappily, writing the answer in the blank before going to the next one.

&

House entered Cuddy's office, ignoring the two people seated in front of her desk. "You, me, sex, now." House said brashly, turning around swiftly and exiting the room before the door closed. Through the glass on the door, he could see the horrified expressions of Cuddy and the other two people in the room. She stood up slowly probably apologizing profusely as she made her way to the exit. Cuddy walked over calmly to House watching the door close.

"What the hell are you trying to do? I'm this close to..." She began, looking at House frenziedly.

"Kara answered my phone." House interrupted, holding his phone up at Cuddy. It wasn't vibrating now thankfully but House was sure she was going to try again.

Cuddy looked confused. "Why are you whining to me about it? If you have a problem with her answering your phone, you should be telling her. I would have thought you would try to make her your secretary or something." She told him uncaringly. She turned around and started to walk back to her office but House grabbed her wrist.

"My mother was on the other end. Kara found out it was her grandmother and now my parents know about her." House finished.

Cuddy was quiet. For thirteen years, the secret had been carefully guarded. Even Cuddy's parents didn't know anything about Kara. She knew House's parents as she had met them more than once. "You don't think they'll come and visit, do you?" She asked fearfully.

House gave her a skeptical look. "Of course they will. When you suddenly hear that you're a grandmother, wouldn't you come down to see your grandchild?" House asked her.

Cuddy nodded guiltily. "House, she has a right to know who her grandparents are. Do you think we should inform my parents?" She asked softly.

House shrugged. "Might as well get it over with as soon as possible. They would have found out eventually." He answered with a sigh. "Well, I got to go back to the conference room. Important stuff to do."

Cuddy snorted. "Since when was saving lives something you considered important?" She asked him.

He turned. "I didn't say I was doing a differential. I got to explain how I got the answer of forty-eight to our child." He answered loudly, walking away. Cuddy smiled, watching him walk away. She was glad that he had put something with his child in the important list. She turned back to her office. She would have to get her meeting over with before she called her parents and revealed the dirty little secret that she had been keeping from them for thirteen years.

Bum, bum, BUM! How will their parents fare with this secret? Only time will tell! Please review and I'll update, because I love reviews!


	16. The Talk

This is one of my favorite chapters! It's what every dad fears. Hope you enjoy it. And ya'll know about the disclaimer so I'm not gonna repeat it.

Chapter Sixteen: The Talk

"Now remember, it'll only be for the rest of the day and half of the next day. I will come home as quickly as I can. Listen to your father, don't stay up late, go to school, eat something other than fast food, and be good." Cuddy told her daughter just two days later. She was at House's apartment, dropping Kara off for the rest of the day. She turned her gaze diffidently to House. "If my parents show, I told them if I'm not at home, check the hospital, and if I'm not there, check your apartment. Now, take good care of her and if you really need me call me and I'll come down."

It had been two days since Cuddy's and House's parents were informed of Kara. Neither of them had arrived yet but they were sure it was going to be any day now. To make matters worse, Cuddy had to go to a meeting out of town for tomorrow and she needed to be there tonight. Since Kara had school the next day, Cuddy had no choice but to leave Kara in the hands of House. As scary as that sounded, Cuddy gave him the benefit of the doubt, which meant she trusted him to not be stupid with his child in his care.

Cuddy sighed. "I love you so much and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She told Kara, bending down slightly and hugging Kara tightly. She kissed her daughter before standing up again. She bent down to pick up her suitcase.

"What about me, Cuddles?" House asked disconsolately, his arms open wide. Cuddy rolled her eyes and entered House's arms, hugging him awkwardly. House smirked and wrapped his arms around her, his hand quickly slapping her on the ass.

Kara's nose wrinkled in disgust. Cuddy pushed herself away from House, giving him a look that screamed that she expected him to act better than that instead of rage. "Goodbye." She said, picking up her suitcase and exiting the apartment. Kara watched through the open window as her mother entered the taxi waiting for her. She looked back at her dad.

He frowned. "What?" He asked her.

"I'm bored." She answered, crossing her arms. She was wearing her favorite red sweater that she had found in her closet and dark denim jeans.

"You've been here for four minutes and you're already bored?" He asked her. She nodded. "I can help you with that. My bathroom needs to be cleaned." He watched as Kara pulled the 'That's not fair!' look that every thirteen year old could pull. "I'm kidding. Go get your jacket. I'm going to take you somewhere."

"Will I like it?" Kara asked uncertainly.

House frowned. "Get it and you'll see."

&

House and Kara walked through the carnival that surrounded the Monster Truck rally. Even though Kara had received most of House's appearance and other things, she did not inherit his joy for Monster Trucks. "How can you not like it?" House asked her as they headed towards the parking lot.

"I said I was sorry. I just don't find the same enthusiasm as you do in a big truck with really big wheels." She answered. She felt bad that her father had taken her to a place that he liked and she didn't like it back. She appreciated the thought though. Wasn't that what mattered?

"It's fine. I'm not mad." He assured her, giving his helmet to her. Kara had finally picked up how to make the helmet fit her. He watched her quietly for a moment or two before getting on his motorcycle. Kara sat behind him, wrapping her arms around him.

"But I did like the cotton candy." Kara pointed out.

House grinned. "Of course you did. It's pure sugar." He told her, heading towards home.

When they finally arrived, House realized that it was almost eleven. "You've got school tomorrow." House told her. "I'll get the couch ready while you get ready for bed, okay."

Kara smiled up at him. "Thanks, Dad." She told him, picking up her own suitcase and heading into the bathroom. House smiled. He had never thought of himself being a father in all his life. But now that it was happening, he realized that it wasn't that bad. He actually enjoyed it. House said his goodnight to his daughter before heading to bed himself.

&

House was awakened early that morning by the rough shaking of his daughter trying to get him up. "I'm up, I'm up." He moaned loudly, placing his hands over his face and letting them slid off his face. He opened his eyes resignedly and yawned. He glanced over at the clock and noticed that it was six thirty so Kara wasn't waking him up to take her to school. He sat up slowly in bed, turning to gaze at his daughter. She looked pale and frightened. She was still in her pajamas and her blanket was wrapped tightly around her waist. "What's the matter?"

"I need Mom." She told him urgently. Her eyes were wide with fright which really made House worry.

"Honey, if something's wrong you can tell me. I'm your father and a doctor." He assured her quickly, reaching out and touching her on the shoulder.

"I know, I know, but I really need Mom!" She said desperately.

"I can't tell your mother that you need her if I don't know what's wrong with you." He informed her firmly. His hands were already under her neck, checking for any signs of a swollen lymphnode. Kara groaned and gave a helpless look at her dad. He gave her a very demanding look.

Crimson began to surface on her cheeks. "I'm hemorrhaging." She said quickly, hearing that word used often in the hospital.

House frowned. She wasn't bleeding from the eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. What could she possibly be worried about? "Honey, I don't see any blood. I think maybe you just had a bad dream." He told her with a sigh of relief.

"No, Dad! I know I'm hemorrhaging! It's…it's..." She couldn't tell her dad! This was so uncomfortable. She looked down then back up at her father to see if he gotten the clue.

"Kara," He began, seeing her look down. His gaze reached the blanket and finally everything snapped into place. His daughter was thirteen. "Oh! _That_ hemorrhaging." He said nervously. How could this happen with Cuddy gone? "You're...You're...not going to die, that's for sure." He told her. How was he suppose to explain to his daughter that she was having her first period? He didn't have any of her necessities that she needed to get through this. "I'm going to call your mother. You just sit on the toilet, okay?"

Kara frowned. "Dad, what's happening?" She asked him nervously.

"All will be explained soon." He answered quickly, reaching for his phone. Kara walked off and he quickly dialed Cuddy's phone number.

It rang three times before Cuddy finally answered it. "This had better be good, House." She told him groggily.

"Trust me, it is." House assured her. "It's about Kara. It's...her time."

"Time for what? House, if something is wrong with our daughter; don't try to make silly jokes. Just tell me." Cuddy snapped a hint of worry in her voice.

"I told you it. What can happen to a thirteen year old?" He asked rolling his eyes and glancing at the doorway.

"Anything. You're not making sense. Her time? What's...are you talking about her period?" Excitement seemed to now jump into Cuddy's voice. House couldn't believe it. What was there to be happy about? His daughter's body could now handle a baby! That was a bad thing!

"Yes. I need you to come down here." House told her seriously.

Cuddy sighed. "House, you're a doctor and you're...well you. You can spend five minutes of your time buying her a pack of pads and educating her on what's happening to her body. I'm not going down there just to do that. Now, goodbye." Cuddy said.

"No, don't..." House began but the other line went dead. House sighed and closed his cell phone, getting out of bed and limping towards the closed bathroom door. "Kara, honey, err, Daddy has to go out for a few minutes to get you something after I change. Will you be alright?" He asked unhappily.

"Do I look like I'm five to you? I'll be fine." Kara told him tiredly through the door. House kept his mouth shut to keep in a particular nasty comment about what Kara had just said. Instead, he turned around and quickly changed. He couldn't believe he had to do this! Buy pads?

&

House walked down the aisle for the seventh time, glancing apprehensively at the pads before continuing past them. Why did Cuddy send him to do this particular thing? He would have done anything else but this. He glanced at his watch. It read seven forty-five. He had wasted too much time already. Kara would be late to school. He had to do this now. Slowly, he headed back down the aisle and grabbed the first thing of pads his hand reached before quickly going to the check-out. House refused to meet the cashier's gaze as he bought the stupid thing. "Have a great day, sir." The cashier said, handing him the bag and his change.

"Yeah, yeah." House muttered, grabbing the bag and his change quickly before exiting the shop as quickly as he could.

He arrived back at his apartment around eight fifteen. The bathroom door was still closed. "Kara, I'm going to hand you something so beware." He told her uncomfortably, turning his head away from the door as he opened up and practically chunked the pads in the bathroom before slamming the door closed.

"Thanks." He heard Kara mumble. "How do you put them on?"

"Just read the instructions!" House hissed.

"Okay, okay!" Kara told him quickly. After waiting for a few more seconds, Kara came out of the bathroom, staring up at him. "What's happening, Dad?"

House stared at her before glancing at his watch again. It was already eight thirty. He guessed that Kara could at least miss one day of school. "You might want to sit on the couch for this." He offered hesitantly giving her a weak smile.

She nodded and sat down, looking up at him fearfully. "Am I going to die of massive internal bleeding or something?" She asked tenderly.

"No, of course not. It's just...uh, are you in any sort of pain?" House couldn't bring himself to tell her anything. If she was any other kid, he would have told her in a heartbeat, but Kara wasn't any other kid. Heck, he had to face Cuddy after this.

She shrugged. "Yeah, a little."

"Go to the medicine cabinet and take two ibuprofen." He instructed her. She obeyed him quietly and soon was in front of him again with an expectant look on her face. House stared at her blankly for a few moments before finally sighing with defeat. He could have sworn that it was a woman's job to do this. "Well, uh, honey...do you know where...babies come from?" He asked cautiously.

Kara shrugged. "I think so. Something to do with your uterus?"

House blinked. Of course an orphanage wouldn't consider how to have a baby important enough! "Only women have uteruses, honey. Well, when two people love each other..." He stopped shortly almost saying 'and marries each other'. "And I mean, really love each other that they want a baby. Well, err, you know women have eggs right?  
Kara nodded. "I'm not stupid. Women have eggs, men have sp..." She began but House covered her mouth.

"Okay. Well, the infected egg...uh...travels down the fallopian tube and gets stuck in the wall of the uterus where the baby gets developed. Well, when a girl reaches around her teens, she hits something called…" House cursed himself. Why was this so hard? "It's called puberty."

Kara raised an eyebrow. "That word sounds familiar, but keep going."

House sighed. "It's when you start menstruating and growing in...womanly places." He told her vaguely, now averting his gaze.

Kara frowned. "Menstruating? What's that?" She asked.

"It's what your bleeding is called. Or another familiar term of it is a period." He answered unhappily.

Kara nodded. "And growing in womanly places? Does that mean my anthills will grow as big as..." She asked beginning to get excited as she placed her hands on her flat chest.

House once again covered Kara's mouth with his hand. "Let's not go there, okay?" Kara nodded. "Now, a period lasts for about five to seven days normally. It usually happens once a month. It also means..." He trailed off. Should he really tell her that her body could now support a baby? "It also means that your body can now support a baby. But remember, no dating until after menopause."

Kara raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Menopause? What's that?"

House grinned. "When your body has no more eggs left. You stop having periods and you can't have a baby." He answered.

Kara nodded. "When does that happen?"

"When you're somewhere over the hill. Just ask your mother, she's almost there." House said, smirking.

"Dad, that's mean." Kara reprimanded, scowling at him.

House just shrugged it off. "What do you want for breakfast?"

&

Cuddy entered House's office slowly, offering a rare smile at him. "So, how did it go?" She asked him.

"Ask Kara." He told her cantankerously, pointing to the chair next to the door before going back to throwing his gray and red tennis ball.

Cuddy frowned. "House, it's one. Kara's at..." She began, turning around and seeing Kara napping peacefully in the chair. She turned around and glared at him. "You made her skip school?" She asked incredulously.

"Shh! Yeah, but don't get your thong in a wad. I picked up her homework." He assured her watching as Kara shifted in her sleep.

Cuddy scowled at him. "She could have gone to school. And why are you telling me to be quiet? You're the one who told me to wake her up and ask her."

"Because I can." He just said, chunking his ball at her. It hit Cuddy right on the head.

"You are such a child. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with some potential donors to go to." She said before exiting the room quickly after that.

"You could've thrown me the ball!" House yelled after her, waking Kara from her sleep.

Yay! Hope you enjoyed it! Review please!


	17. Misinterpretation

Now, this doesn't have very much grandparent action in it…but they are still in shock. Just wait…hehehe. I have no clue about Cuddy's parents, so deal with me.

Chapter Seventeen: Misinterpretation

A couple of days (more like the weekend) later...

Cuddy sighed as a knock on the door interrupted her from the paperwork once again. It seemed that everything was against her when she tried to do the paperwork. She sighed and looked up at the door, eyes widening slightly as her parents stood in front of her door, waving through the small glass. Cuddy put a strained smile on her face and she opened up the locked door, silently wanting to yell at them to go away. Cuddy did love her parents but sometimes they were just so infuriating.

Her father was tall and lean man, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, his cerulean blue eyes calm. Her mother smiled as Cuddy opened to door and immediately greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Her mother still had her dark hair and she was smiling, always had that happy expression on, but in her dark eyes, something else was forming. She knew that her mother would be disappointed in her in not waiting to be married before having a child. So House and Cuddy came up with the ingenious plan to act somewhat like a couple just to make their parents somewhat happy. It wasn't the smartest plan in the world but it would do for however long their parents would be there with them.

"Lisa, sweetie, how are you?" Lisa's mother asked happily.

"I'm great, Mom. What about you and Dad?" She said, hoping to make small talk.

"Don't worry about us, sweetie. Where is she?" Lisa's father asked, glancing around the room hopefully.

"She's at school." Cuddy answered, clapping her hands.

Both of them were quiet for a moment, glancing at each other. "How old is she exactly?" Lisa's mother asked carefully.

Cuddy smiled tiredly. Here it goes. "She's thirteen." Cuddy answered. She could see the shocked expressions reach their faces. "So, would you two like to sit down, have a cup of coffee?"

"Honey, you mean to tell us that you've been keeping our grandchild away from us for thirteen years?" Lisa's father asked her, his voice hurt. Cuddy sighed miserably.

"No, we gave her up for adoption, but she kind of popped into our lives just a few weeks ago." She answered hesitantly.

Both of them exchanged glances. "Thirteen years ago would be when you were still in college." Her mother began. "Lisa! How dare you keep a secret like that away from us for that long? Just who exactly is the father?"

The door opened again to House as he entered for his usual bickering or something, but he paused, seeing Lisa's parents. "Leaving." He said, turning around swiftly.

"He's the father." She said loudly, making House stop in his tracks. House turned around slowly, looking darkly at Cuddy before smiling awkwardly at her parents. They both stared at him strangely, before looking at his hands which was holding his cane tightly. "Honey," She said slowly. "This is my mom and dad, Marie and Daniel.'

House fought to keep from rolling his eyes. "Hi." He stated. At least his parents weren't here yet, so he was still okay for now. A moving figure made him look past Cuddy's parents and out the door. "Oh joy." He murmured as his mother opened the door. He placed another fake smile on his face and went to greet his mother. This was the worst thing ever. How could both parents somehow arrive at the same time?

&

Kara picked at the lasagna she had gotten in the hospital's cafeteria. She was sitting between her parents and staring at her grandparents. As far as she could tell, both of her parents were very uncomfortable that their parents were here. Cuddy was constantly bouncing her leg up and down or twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. House was rigid and had a sort of blank look on his face. He seemed very uncomfortable with his father around. As she observed, she wasn't sure if Wilson got the family definition correct.

She took another bite of the lasagna and decided that it was hopeless to have a nice lunch with her family. With everyone so tense and uneasy, nothing seemed like it was right. "Can I be excused?" She asked softly to Cuddy.

Cuddy barely glanced over at her daughter. "Where are you going?" She asked back.

"Bathroom." Kara lied. Cuddy nodded her head and Kara picked up her plate before leaving. After dumping her plate in the trash can, she made her way to Wilson's office. Wilson was at his desk checking something when Kara walked in. He looked up and smiled encouragingly at her. "You were wrong about family." She told him candidly, plopping into one of his seats. She threw her legs over the side of the chair and made herself comfortable before staring at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, setting his pen down. Unlike Kara's mother, he could somehow finish all his paperwork, deal with her father, and take care of his patients.

"You said family is people that love you. All there is right now is tension and uneasiness."

Wilson sighed. "Well, Kara, you kind of popped up unexpectedly. House's family isn't the best family and I have no idea about Cuddy's family. But, I can probably guess that they aren't happy to know that their daughter had a child in college that they didn't know about." He offered.

Kara sighed. "When I was an orphan, I always dreamt of finding my family. How happy everyone would be and stuff. But this is totally different."

Wilson gave her a sad smile. "This is reality, Kara. Things aren't glamorous as they are in dream world. Sorry." Kara nodded and stood up, heading towards the door. "Where you going?"

"Back to the cafeteria. I told mom that I went to the bathroom." Kara said over her shoulder.

"Kara, you shouldn't lie." He warned.

"Hey, what they don't know won't hurt them." Kara told him with a shrug. She exited Wilson's office and went back to the cafeteria. They were all arguing in hushed tones until Kara arrived, which sent them all spiraling down the silent path again. Kara finished her lunch in silence.

&

"It was your idea to act like a couple, not mine." House snapped angrily, glaring at Cuddy from the driver's seat. House had to leave his motorcycle at the hospital overnight while both of their parents came home to Cuddy's house. He looked up at the rearview mirror and sighed as the cars followed them. Kara sat in the backseat quietly, listening to them argue. Maybe she shouldn't have answered that phone. It seemed as if they were embarrassed that Kara was there or they didn't want anyone to know about her.

Cuddy sighed frustrated. "Both of our parents would be happier if we acted like a couple than two separate parents. I mean, wouldn't your father think it's a bit appropriate?" She told him venomously. House's grip on the steering wheel tightened so that his knuckles were white. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms before looking out the window. The rest of the ride was silent except for the occasional blinker sound.

House pulled into Cuddy's driveway and both of them got out, followed by Kara. Cuddy placed a big fake smile on her face as her parents' and House's parents pulled up in the driveway with them. House wasn't even waiting for them. Instead, he made his way to Cuddy's house and unlocked it. Kara, unsure of whom to follow, stood at the halfway point, which was on the lawn but not far from the door or the driveway.

"So this is where you're living now? It's very quaint." Cuddy's mother rambled walking up the walkway.

"Thank you. I decorated it all by myself. H...Greg didn't seem to mind." She pointed out. They entered the house and Kara followed solemnly. House had already made his way to the living room and now was watching wrestling. Cuddy threw him a look but he ignored it. Cuddy's father joined House on the couch while House's father just looked around. Several times Kara caught him staring at her with a stare that even scared her. No wonder her father was mean. Both of her parents' mothers toured the house with Cuddy, who put in their little motherly advice about certain things. After about an eternity, they finally left after promising to be back here tomorrow, leaving House, Cuddy, and Kara by themselves.

"Well, at least it's not a school night." Cuddy said, stroking a strand of Kara's hair before glancing at House. "I'm not taking you back to the hospital just so you can go home. You might as well as just stay here for the night." House's eyebrows shot up instinctively. "Don't get any ideas, House."

He scoffed and looked over at Kara. "Go to bed." He ordered. Kara frowned but did as she was told. Once she was in the hallway, she tip-toed down the hall and closed her bedroom door before going back to the hallway. "Well, how long do you think they're going to stay?"

Cuddy shrugged. "They just found out that they have a granddaughter who's thirteen." She pointed out irately. "I think they would stay for awhile."

House sighed. "If I could change the past, this wouldn't be happening right now."

Cuddy smiled sadly at him. "I know what you mean." She whispered. Kara backed away slowly, her throat suddenly dry. Turning around quickly, she entered her bedroom door and closed it. Cuddy turned to look at him. "You should have taken the phone with you."

House stared at her in shock. "I was being responsible! If she needed me, she could get a hold of me. Surely you would approve of that! I just wish I could have gotten there sooner." He told her shaking his head. He sighed and looked at the television. He picked up the remote and turned it on. Rolling her eyes, Cuddy left House to his shows.

&

Kara opened her eyes slowly, glancing at the bright green numbers of her alarm clock. It read one twenty two in the morning. Surely that would be long enough for both of her parents to fall asleep. Throwing the blankets off of her body, she slipped out of bed fully clothed and slipped her shoes on. After hearing what her parents had to say, she had immediately made up her mind. She couldn't turn back time for them but she could definitely get out of their hair. Shifting her backpack, she opened the window carefully and slipped out.

Kara was an expert at sneaking out without being heard. Several times she had slipped out of the orphanage along with some of the other kids at night. She closed the window back up and vaulted herself over the fence before running down the dark asphalt road with only one destination in mind.

The two story house looked very different than it did during the day. Kara made her way to the side of the house, where the garage was. She balanced on a steel trashcan before pulling herself onto the garage ceiling. She jumped across the small gap between the garage and the house's roof before she scuttled her way to the window. Opening it up easily, she slipped inside and picked out the sleeping form of Skyler. Hastily, Kara covered Skyler's mouth as Skyler jolted up, eyes wide with terror. From the moonlight seeping into the room, Skyler was able to make out Kara. Kara slowly let her hand off of Skyler's mouth. "Are you crazy?" Skyler whispered infuriatingly. "You could have given me a heart attack!"

"Shh!" Kara hissed, making herself comfortable on the bed. She dropped her backpack beside the bed and waited for Skyler to turn on the light.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you sleeping like normal people?" Skyler asked, blinking as she turned on the bedside lamp.

"My parents don't want me." Kara told her seriously. "I don't think you could sleep after something like that."

"Did they say that exactly?"

"No. Why do you care?" Kara raised an eyebrow. Skyler was quite good with all the logical explanations and such.

"Because you could have misinterpreted something they had said. No one's that cruel enough to say 'I don't want you' in your face." Skyler explained.

"They didn't say it in my face. I was eavesdropping like we planned and they said that if they could go back in time, they wouldn't be having this problem." Kara stated sadly.

Skyler was quiet for a moment, moving the fabric between her fingers. "Maybe they are having another problem..." Skyler began.

"No. You should have heard their voices. I know it was about me. It's the same voice Ms. Charles used to use when she was talking about me indirectly." Kara assured her. "I was wondering if I could spend the rest of the night here or something."

"You're always welcome here, Kara." Skyler said truthfully.

Poor Kara! What will happen when House and Cuddy find out that their daughter's gone! What will they tell their parents? Review and find out!


	18. Things Don't Work That Easily

All right, everyone should like this chapter. You get introduced to a character of Kara's past. Hope you like it! Disclaimer: I own nothing from House M.D. Just Skyler, Kara, and the new guy.

Chapter Eighteen: Things Don't Work That Easily

It was the first time Kara didn't return before sunrise. She had made herself comfortable in Skyler's chair and fell into a light, unfulfilling sleep. "Do you think they noticed?" Kara whispered softly to Skyler as she sat up quietly, rubbing the sleep from out of her eyes. Skyler stared at her for a moment, confused at why Kara was there. "Last night wasn't a dream." She quickly reminded her friend.

Skyler groaned. "Oh, well, maybe not right now. Maybe in a bit when you don't come out." She offered, pulling the covers off. "Are you going to stay here all day?"

Kara gave Skyler a wry smile, knowing why she had asked that question. "Nope. And I'm not telling you where I'm going either." Kara said, straightening her clothes. She looked over to see her friend's apprehensive glance.

"Kara, you should tell me just in case you get into any trouble out there." Skyler began, becoming herself once again. It seemed that every time Kara went outside unsupervised, stuff seemed to happen. "Just a hint. I promise I won't tell your parents if they come hounding me."

Kara ignored the pleading look in her friend's eyes. "I've been out and about before. Just don't worry, Skyler. Now, give me some breakfast before I go on my way, will ya?" She said, smiling slightly to herself. Skyler groaned and nodded, opening the door and heading towards the living room. Skyler was always a bit slow in the morning. Kara popped open the window and looked back at Skyler's room. Skyler would be mad when she came back, but Skyler wouldn't let Kara leave any other way without knowing where Kara was. Kara surreptitiously slipped out the window and carefully made her way down to the ground. With two feet on the ground, she began to run. Running was something Kara didn't naturally do unless she had a reason too. And it was a pretty damn good one.

&

The sunlight shone directly in Cuddy's eyes, waking her from her deep sleep. She groaned and sat up slowly, looking around groggily as she searched for her alarm clock. Her alarm clock was lying on the floor, showing that it was ten o'clock. Cuddy gasped and practically sprang out of bed. She was extremely late for work. Cuddy was only glad that it was Sunday and Kara didn't have to go to school. She exited her room and stopped cold as House looked up from the television. She was wearing her thin white nightgown and he was definitely getting a show. Cuddy felt insecure for only a minute before her temper got to her. "You were awake!? Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked, outraged.

House stared at Cuddy for another minute before finally deciding that he had better answer her or face the wrath of Lucifer's daughter. "You said not to get any ideas." He told her. "I was listening to you."

Cuddy scowled. How could she argue with him? "How is it that you remember some stuff I say and then totally forget other stuff?" She asked.

"What?" House said perfectly, looking up at Cuddy innocently. Cuddy let out an aggravated sigh and went back to her room to no doubt change into something less thin and showy. House grinned and turned back to the television. He had silence for a few more minutes before Cuddy came out again, fully clothed and with her shirt buttoned all the way. She was walking fast, muttering something under her breath as she rushed by the living room to get the coffee from the coffee pot.

"You drank all the coffee?" Cuddy asked loudly, on the verge of anger, but not quite there yet because she had just woke up.

"If it's gone, then I guess so." House answered cockily, turning up the volume.

Cuddy entered the living room, snatching the remote from House's hand. "Go...wake Kara up!" She snapped, turning it off before going back into the kitchen with the remote in hand.

House stood up slowly, staring at the blank TV despondently. He wasn't going to limp over to the TV and turn it on manually. He snatched his cane up and went to the closed door, rapping his cane against it tiredly. After a minute or two of continuous rapping, he paused, frowning. Kara hadn't come barging out, giving him the death glare for waking her up. "Kara?" He asked, opening the door slowly. No one stopped him so he swung it open and stared at the empty bed. His eyes glanced over at the window that was carelessly left open. House cursed softly. First, he had to deal with Cuddy, if he was able to survive after that, then they would both have to either make their parents busy or tell them that they just lost their child. "Cuddy, you might want to forget about the coffee." He said loudly, turning slowly to the beast waiting in the kitchen.

&

Even though it had been a long time since Kara had ran away, her feet still knew where she wanted to go. Earnest's Treasures stood before her, its red and white paint peeling and the smell of garbage clung to the air heavily. "Hey, Earnest!" Kara yelled loudly, taking a stick and hitting the wire fence to make a weird noise. "Earnest!"

"Damn it, this place is up to code regulat..." A dirty old man, older than House, yelled, shuffling out of a shack like building. He looked over at Kara and she could all most hear the clogs working in his mind as he processed who she was. "Hell, its little Kara! I haven't seen you in like..." He stopped, trying to think back that far.

"Yeah, Earnest, in like forever. So, let me in because I have a bunch of news to tell you." Kara told him quickly. Earnest pushed the button that opened the gate and she headed inside the trash dump site to the shack that Earnest called home.

&

"So, lemme get this as straight as a broken arrow, missy. You founded yer parents, who are in lub with each other, but can't emit it?" He paused as he poured some more mysterious liquid out of a black tinted bottle into his mug. "Now they said they wished they could go back in time and not have this preedickiement."

"Yeah, that's about it." Kara said, stroking Earnest's bull dog's head as it slept beside her peacefully.

"Well, hell, I'd wish I could go back in time if I had a kid like you..." He joked, laughing. It was obvious that he was drunk. He was always drunk. Kara and Skyler, whenever she came with her, had never seen him ever sober before.

"Earnest..." Kara snapped, frowning.

"I was only joking, little Missy. Well, what the hell do you want me to do about it?" He asked, becoming instantly serious. It was hard to take Earnest seriously. He had this engineer's hat on and it was always on crooked. His dirty tweed jacket was always buttoned up wrong and he would stumble around or mumble inaudibly half the time.

"Nothing, I just need someone to talk too." Kara told him sadly.

"What happened to whatsherface? Sarah was it? Sybil? Lucy?" Earnest asked.

"Skyler?" Kara asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Who's that?" Earnest looked around, as if she was here.

Kara groaned, putting her face in her hands. Kara, at the moment, was questioning why she had come to see the stupidest idiot in the whole world. But, at the same time, she knew the answer. Earnest, when he had rode around on those garbage trucks, always stopped by the orphanage to hit on Ms. Charles and give all of them little toys that he would save. Kara had known Earnest as long as she could remember and always found him a bit fascinating. "Earnest, can we just be quiet for like a few minutes, okay?" She asked.

"Mmkay." He answered, grabbing his bottle and drinking straight from it. Kara looked down at the now awake Smithy, the bull dog, who moaned in pleasure of having his head scratched. Although visiting Earnest was a nice thing to do, she couldn't help but feel horrible for running out on her parents like that. What if Skyler was right about what she said?

"You like me, don'tcha Smithy?" Kara asked him softly. Smithy looked up with his sad eyes, wondering why Kara had stopped. "I'll take that as a yes." She told him, continuing to scratch his head.

"The watah tastes strange..." Earnest trailed off.

&

House opened Cuddy's door, relieved to see Wilson waiting instead of anybody else. "You said there was an emergency? What is it? Is everyone okay?" Wilson asked worriedly, pushing past House. House closed the door and followed Wilson into the living room. He had found Cuddy. Well, at this point, it wasn't hard to find Cuddy. She had been sitting on the couch for over thirty minutes, just staring off into space. She was taking the news pretty well he thought. When he told her, she had rushed over to the room, only to start hyperventilating and talking way too fast for him to understand anything. He was able to bring her to her couch and sit her down, and that was where he had left her. Wilson looked over at House. "What happened?"

"I told her she looked pretty and she freaked out." House said with a smirk only to receive a glare from Wilson. "Kara ran away in the middle of the night."

"She what?" Wilson asked, shocked. "Did you call the police?"

"No." House answered slowly. He sat down next to Cuddy as Wilson stomped over to the phone and called for him. "Lisa." House stated, staring at Cuddy beside him.

Wilson finished up the call and came back, looking slightly agitated. "The police said that they will be here soon, but they can't put a missing person's file out yet. She has to be gone for more than twenty four hours before they can do that." He said, setting the phone down and sitting on the other side of Cuddy. Both men were quiet for a moment. "Lisa..." Wilson began, taking his hand in hers and patting it. "I think she's in a state of deep shock. Do you know how to..." He began, but suddenly House got up. "House?" House came back in a few seconds, holding something behind his back. "What do you have, House?" Wilson asked, alarmed by the strange glint in House's eyes.

House stood in front of Cuddy and suddenly, threw a glass of water straight in Cuddy's face. He had always wanted to do that...under different circumstances of course. Very different circumstances. She gasped and sputtered. "House! What the hell was that for?" She yelled viciously, giving him a glare that was even worse then her death glare.

"You were in shock." Wilson said quickly. He never really understood why he would come to House's defense.

Cuddy sighed loudly and wiped the water from her face with a handkerchief from Wilson. "So, she really ran away?" She asked softly. House and Wilson nodded. "Why?"

"I don't know..." House told her. Wilson's eyes widened with horror. The conversation he had had with her yesterday ran through his mind.

"Umm..." Wilson said hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck. Both eyes turned slowly onto Wilson. "I might have an idea..."

&

"Missy, lemme tell ya a story." Earnest said as he came down the small hill. Kara had wondered off to the back of the dump, where one could watch the river flow and no one would be able to spot you. Kara looked up at him, as did Smithy, who wagged his tail happily. Earnest stumbled at the bottom but managed to get his balance back, before plopping down beside Smithy and bringing out his alcohol. He took a big swig of it before setting it down. "Once upon a day, there was this lil' girlie. She was a cute lil' bugga with lots of spunk and smiles. Although she looked damn right cheery on the outside, she wasn't feeling the same on the inside. Somethin' was troublin' her. So one day, she met a very handsome, very witty, totally awesome garbage man..." He stopped, swatting a fly before turning back to Kara. "Where was I?"

"She met a very dirty, slightly delusional, totally weird garbage man." Kara told him, smirking.

"Ah, yes." He said, not even knowing that Kara had changed it on him. "So, the garbage man sees the lil' girlie and goes to her, because she's cryin' in a corner all by her lonesome. The man says 'What's wrong, lil' Missy?' and the girl stops cryin' long enough to say 'Nothin'. The garbage man is very smart for he goes 'If you be cryin' 'bout nothin', there's lil' hope for you because you would be cryin' for a long time.' The lil' girlie says 'Mmkay maybe it is 'bout somethin'." He stopped, but this time it was to wet his whistle. "The man said 'That's good...now tell ol' Earnest what the matter is.' I bet you didn't think it was me." He looked over at Kara.

"Nope." Kara lied.

Earnest chuckled. "Anywhos, the lil' missy tells me 'bout her troubles. When she was finished, I pondered for just a moment. You see, this lil girlie was very able to see things as they were...no butterin' up things for her. She wanted answers. And this very handsome, very witty, totally awesome garbage man was able to tell her that things don't work out that easily, even if ya do a wishin' on a starie. Because, ol' Earnest had had some 'ifficult times in his life as well and cryin' 'bout it...or runnin' 'way...ain't gonna do ya no good 'bout it." He finished. "You do remember that lil' girlie, don'tcha?"

Kara nodded quietly. Of course she remembered. That lil' girlie was her. Slowly, she stood up, dusting her jeans off. Earnest, no matter how drunk or weird he was, managed to make sense in the end. That was why everyone had so much respect for him. One couldn't judge him from the first appearance. One had to get to know him. "Thanks, Earnest, for the story."

"No problema, conquistador!" He told her, trying his hand at Spanish. Kara stared at him for a moment before starting back up the hill, leaving ol' Earnest to his drinking.

Don'tcha love Earnest? Will Kara go home? What does Wilson mean by 'I might have an idea…'? Review and find out!


	19. Incarcerated

All right, here we go, new chapter! Go me! This idea kept on nagging me so I finally put it to rest with this chapter. I love this chapter and I hope you guys do too! Disclaimer: I do not, yet again, own anything. I do own Kara, and Skyler, and anything unfamiliar. Please enjoy! There's one word in here: aspethisis. I have no idea if it's spelled right, so I did it the best I could. It's a mold.

Chapter Nineteen: Incarcerated

"We're not going to kill you, Wilson. You can tell us." Cuddy told him as Wilson hesitated. He looked a little worried that they might be mad at him if he said whatever he was going to say. More likely, they would be relieved.

"At least, not yet." House added happily, smirking at his friend. He ignored Cuddy's hateful gaze at him.

"Well, the other day Kara had come to me. She said that she told you that she was going to the bathroom." Wilson began slowly, trying to find the best words to use so they didn't feel it was entirely their fault and get mad at him for not saying something sooner. He never thought he would have too. "Remember when she asked me about the whole family ordeal. Well, yesterday she told me I was wrong. She seemed very unhappy that you two were uncomfortable with letting your parents know and such. All the tension and such. Was there anything that you said that made her go over the edge?"

Cuddy and House were quiet for a moment. "What did you say, House?" Cuddy asked quickly, pinning the blame on him.

"What makes you think that I made our daughter run away?" House asked irritably.

"What makes me not think it was you?" She countered easily. "You are always getting patients outraged. I wouldn't be blaming you if you didn't have a record." She told him.

"Hold on." Wilson said quickly. There was only one reason why he wanted to stop the fight before it got ugly. He was in-between them. "You might not have said anything in front of her. She could have accidentally overheard you."

"We..." Cuddy trailed off, remembering their conversation from last night. "Oh, god, House." She looked over at him. "Remember our little talk about going back in time and fixing the problem?" Cuddy sighed and reached over and slapped House on the arm. "It's all your fault!" The doorbell rang and Wilson bolted up for it, not looking forward to what might come next.

&

Kara walked down the deserted street quietly, hands shoved in her pockets, and her mind on other things then where she was walking. Earnest's advice was still bouncing around in her mind, but because she was so obstinate, she didn't want to go. It was chilly for starting to get to the middle of the day. Usually the sun was up by now, but gray clouds covered the entire sky and she could tell that it would rain sooner or later. "To go or not to go...that is the question." Kara said softly to herself, stopping and looking up at a light pole.

Suddenly, the noise of something on loose gravel caught her attention. She stiffened and began walking, but this time her pace had quickened. She kept her head down and her brown hair acted as a curtain so she could only look at the ground. The crunching noises were still there behind her and now she could hear the soft engine. Slowly, she looked to her side and sighed as an all too familiar white car pulled along beside her and onto the curb in front of her to prevent her from going on. The door opened and a tall man exited the car, closing the door with a slam. His boots clicked against the pavement as he approached Kara. He stopped just a few feet away from her. "It's been awhile hasn't it?" He asked, his hand resting on his gun.

Kara looked up and offered a smile at the man. "Hey, Officer Mitchell. I thought you said you didn't want to see me around these parts again?" She asked, trying to laugh it off.

"I did, but when I get a call about some lost looking kid wandering around with nothing but mischief probably on their mind, I have to check it out." He answered, taking his arms and crossing them over his chest now.

"Mischief? Me? Never!" Kara said seriously, shaking her head.

Officer Mitchell gave her a skeptical look. "All right, Kara, you know the drill." He said.

Kara sighed. "Fine, but before we do the 'drill', if I lay down, can you draw me with that little chalk you have?" Kara asked optimistically. From the look of Officer Mitchell's face, it was a no. Kara rolled her eyes and lifted up her arms as he handcuffed them together. She walked with him to the back of the cop car and slid into the back. It wasn't one of those fancy police cars that one sees in the movies and stuff. It was one of the old ones in those classic movies except this one needed a couple of touch ups.

She stayed quiet for most of the ride. "This is messed up, you know that, right?" She asked him, peering at him through the bars.

Officer Mitchell snorted and pulled into the small excuse of a jail parking lot. He parked the car and got out, opening the door for Kara. She walked beside him to the inside of the jail and followed him to the swiveling chair before sliding the handcuffs off of her wrists. "What happened to your TV?" She asked as she noticed it wasn't there.

"It was acting up, I hit it, and it went crashing to the ground." He answered, taking his handcuffs back and going to his mini refrigerator that he kept in here. He pulled out a box of Ding Dongs and threw one at Kara and grabbing one for him too. Kara opened it and bit into the chocolate goodness as he sat down in the chair opposite of Kara. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

"I got really sick and then I found my parents. Go figure." Kara said quickly, her mouth full of food.

Officer Mitchell looked up. "Yeah." He said, finishing up his Ding Dong. "Can I have your phone number to call your parents? They must be worried."

Kara rolled her eyes and told him the number. They might not be that worried.

&

"And how tall is she?" The officer asked, looking up at Wilson, Cuddy, and House. The officer was writing the things down on a pad of paper as they described their missing daughter.

"She's about..." House trailed off, looking at Cuddy for help.

"Um, I'd say five foot one." Cuddy answered, unsure of the answer herself. It wasn't like she measured Kara.

"Short." The officer improvised, scribbling that down on his paper. "Hair color? Eye color?"

"Brown. Blue." House answered quickly.

"Uh-huh? Any idea where she might have run off to?" The officer asked, looking up at them from his glasses.

Cuddy and House were quiet. "Skyler might know." Wilson offered.

The officer sighed and closed his pad. "All right, well, I'll put this out to all the officers around here. You might want to call her friend. Now, excuse me, I have to go." He reached out and shook Wilson's hand. "I hope you find your daughter soon." He said, nodding to Wilson and then to Cuddy. He gave a hesitant smile at House before letting himself out.

"No wonder I hate cops." House muttered underneath his breath.

Cuddy, with a smile on her lips, rolled her eyes and reached for the phone, but before she could start punching in the numbers, the phone rang. "Hello?" She answered. "Yes, this is Ms. Cuddy, why?...Oh my god, she is! Is she okay?...Okay, we'll be right over!" She hung up and looked at House. "Kara's in jail!" She exclaimed.

&

Officer Mitchell hung up and turned to look at Kara, who was staring around the jail. "So, how's life on Crap Street been?" Kara asked, putting her hands on her stomach and looking over at Officer Mitchell. He frowned at her. Crap Street was Kara's name for this part of town. There was nothing good that could be found here, except for maybe Earnest and Officer Mitchell.

"I don't know. Ask him." Officer Mitchell said, jerking his thumb over to the cells.

Kara frowned but got up and headed over to the cells. A short, scrawny young man sat in the corner of the cell, his gray shirt smudged with dirt and was way too big for him, and his jeans ripped as well. He looked up. "Dennis?!" Kara asked, her eyes widening.

"Hey, Kara!" Dennis exclaimed, grinning wickedly and walking to the bars. "I haven't seen you in like...forever."

"I know. Why are you in here again?" Kara asked. Dennis, who was seventeen, was a local around here and she had seen him before on many trips to Earnest. Skyler, once she had seen him, had fallen for him for the longest time before finally giving it up that she wasn't going to get him. Dennis kept to himself mostly. It was soon after that when Officer Mitchell took Kara in from her visit to Earnest so she could wait for Ms. Charles to come pick her up, that she found out that Dennis had been in jail for many times.

"What do you think? Marijuana, of course. I was just walking and doing my business when Officer Mitchell over here..." Dennis explained, giving a tired look at him.

"Dennis, you were so high and you were trying to sell it to an old lady." Officer Mitchell interjected quickly, frowning at Dennis as he approached Kara's side.

"She looked different..." He added on. "All right, Officer Mitchell, since the whole gang is here, how about we do what we always do?" He looked up at Officer Mitchell with a sly grin.

"I'm a changed man." Officer Mitchell told him seriously.

Kara and Dennis laughed. "If you're a changed man, Officer Mitchell. Then I'm not a druggie." Dennis advised him.

Officer Mitchell rolled his eyes and opened the cell doors for him, which wasn't really necessary. "I guess so, but this is the last time." He closed the cell after Dennis exited and tossed him the handcuffs that never worked right. "Mainly because I'm running out of Kara's type." He said. Kara and Dennis smirked at each other and followed Officer Mitchell to his desk. That was the one thing that set Officer Mitchell apart from all the other officers. He had this thing where as long as someone didn't pitch a fit and didn't kill anyone, he'd let that person off after spending some time in jail. Officer Mitchell, being the only cop there at the jail, befriended anyone who got stuck in the jail with him. Most of the people who got stuck in there, knew that the cells never locked and the handcuffs didn't work, but they went along with it because if they didn't act out, Officer Mitchell wouldn't put anything bad against their record. And if one kept being friends with Officer Mitchell, one would get privileges. Like how Dennis could smoke his joint in the jail, but only when Officer Mitchell was smoking his cigarettes. He was totally against Kara smoking anything, so Officer Mitchell would get Candy Cigarettes so Kara wouldn't have to be left out, since Dennis called the jail his home practically.

"So, who are your parents anyway?" Officer Mitchell asked.

"You know Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital?" Kara asked, looking over at him.

"Yeah, that big hospital they have over there." He answered, nodding his head.

"My mom is the Dean of Medicine there. Dr. Lisa Cuddy. My dad's the infamous diagnostician there, Dr. Gregory House." I explained, sucking on the candy stick happily.

Officer Mitchell stared at Kara for a moment. "Boy, you better hurry up with your joint before those doctors come." He told Dennis, pointing his cigarette at him.

Dennis muttered something unintelligible and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. "Why do your parents have different last names?" He asked.

"They're not married." I answered.

"So, you're a love child?" Dennis said, opening the eye closest to Kara.

"Dennis!" Officer Mitchell snapped, sending him a wary glance. Kara sighed. "Well, at least you found your parents. You know, we should wait outside for them." He offered, starting to get up.

"In here's good." Kara told him, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you want to go outside?"

"Because I don't want them freaking out about all the cancer causing agents in here. The smoke from my cigarette. Mr. Mojo over there smoking his marijuana. The mold growing inside of the walls. I'm pretty sure that's aspethisis growing over there." He pointed to a patch of mold that Kara hadn't seen on the ceiling.

Kara smirked. "My parents won't freak out. Besides, I'm pretty sure my dad's a druggie too. Got himself stuck on Vicodin." She said, nodding her head and looking at Dennis.

"Vicodin?" Dennis asked calmly. "Whatever it is, I want some."

&

Finally, the door opened and Cuddy rushed into the jail. Kara was probably frightened and crying. She just wanted to get her out of the jail as fast as she could. There was no way she was going to let House have the chance to say something about his experience in jail. She reached the office and stopped dead at the sight of what met her. The officer was leaning back in a chair, feet on the desk, and smoking a cigarette. A boy beside Kara was smoking something else and Cuddy was most definitely aware that it wasn't a cigarette. But the sight that shocked her most was Kara, who had a cigarette in her mouth. "Oh my god! Kara!" She shrieked, rushing over there and ripping it out of Kara's mouth and stomping on it. House and Wilson exchanged glances as they entered the jail to see Cuddy stomping on something.

The officer removed his boots from his desk and took the cigarette out of his mouth slowly. "Ma'am..." He began.

"How could you let her smoke? She's thirteen for God's sake!" She yelled venomously.

House's eyes narrowed as he glanced over at the officer. "Mom!" Kara snapped quickly, jumping up. Cuddy turned to face her daughter. "Officer Mitchell wouldn't let me smoke a cigarette."

"Then what, young lady, was that thing in your mouth?" Cuddy asked, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrows.

"It was a Candy Cigarette. That was what I was trying to tell you, ma'am." Officer Mitchell said, holding out the bright red package.

Cuddy stared at it quietly. "Nice." House spoke up. "Kara, come on, time to go." He said, motioning to her and then looking at Officer Mitchell, who nodded with endorsement. Kara nodded and started towards her father. "Cuddles, you promised you wouldn't go to fantasyland until this evening." He added, falling instep behind his daughter. Cuddy broke her gaze from the Candy Cigarettes and glared at the back of House's head.

Wilson glanced around the jail. "You should really get someone over here. Someone could get sick." He offered helpfully before following Cuddy and House out.

Kara slipped into the backseat of the car and watched as the adults huddled together for a minute, talking about something. Finally, they parted and House slipped into the backseat with Kara and Cuddy in the passenger seat with Wilson in the driver's. "Am I in trouble?" Kara asked House quietly, looking up at him carefully.

He glanced down at her. "We'll see, now zip your lips, and be quiet." He answered.

Kara nodded, wondering if she should fear for her life. "Why is Wilson here?" She asked. She couldn't help herself.

"Because your father, instead of calling the police, called him instead." Cuddy answered, glaring at him. Wilson shifted uncomfortably in the seat. "Not that we don't mind you, Wilson, it's just you think he would have called the police first." She assured Wilson. Kara pressed herself farther into the seat as she looked out the window. She couldn't wait until they got home. Then the questioning would begin. She was sure of it.

Hope you like it! I liked this chapter! The next one...well...something going to happen between Kara and House's dad.


	20. The Prick and The Mistake

Okay, I updated yay! I think it's a pretty long one too. Whoo! I'm not sure if I got House's dad's character right, so if he seems a bit weird, I'm sorry. It's been a while since I seen the episode with House and his parents, so yeah.

Chapter Twenty: The Prick and The Mistake

"Does cruel and unusual punishment mean anything to you?" Kara asked angrily, peering up at House, who stood in front of the white board. Cameron, Chase, and Foreman looked over at Kara for a minute before looking back at House. House and Cuddy, after talking to Kara about what they had meant and discussing what to do about Kara's running off, they decided that doing a little work wouldn't hurt her. Unfortunately for them, they didn't check up on Kara's standards, which for her, work made her dangerously ill. House was left to coming up with the punishment. First, he had made Kara walk back and forth between Wilson's and House's offices to carry pointless messages. Then, Kara had to carry a stack of very heavy paperwork to Cameron's office. When she got there, Cameron told her to send it back to House, because it had nothing to do with their current case, so she had to go back just to figure out that House just wanted some time to think of a better punishment. Now, she sat at the conference table with everyone else, copying all the diseases with their symptoms known to man in a huge book that was more than a thousand pages. She was page two and had all ready used three pieces of paper.

"No, it doesn't, now get back to work." He snapped, turning his icy blue gaze from Kara to his ducklings. "Well, what do we have so far?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and pointed at the board. It all ready had dementia on it and myoclonus.

Chase let out his breath loudly, giving a look that meant that he was lost for words. Cameron shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well," Foreman began. "His MRI came up with high signal intensity in the caudate nucleus and putamen bilaterally on T2-weighted images."

Cameron looked up quickly. "But that only points too..."

"Ooh, this is where you guys finally guess the answer that I, of course, all ready know. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease." House said eagerly, grinning wickedly as he moved, revealing CJD that he had written on the board. "Now, who wants to go tell the man that he's got an incurable disease that he's going to ultimately die from."

"House!" Cameron protested in horror. She couldn't believe that he found a man dying from an incurable disease fun.

"Can I tell him instead of doing this?" Kara asked quickly.

"No." Was House's quick reply. "Stop whining, Cameron. You all most had an incurable disease too." House told her. Kara could see the anger building in Cameron's contorted face. Instead of saying anything, she got up and left the conference room.

Slowly, Foreman and Chase gathered their things as well and started out after Cameron. "How did we miss that?" Kara heard Chase whisper to Foreman, who shrugged in return.

House wiped the board quietly and finally turned his gaze on his daughter, who was copying the book unhappily and at a snail's pace. "Tell you what," House said, leaning over her and blocking out her light. Kara looked up at him. "If you get to page five in the next twenty minutes, I'll let you off the hook for the rest of the two thousand seven hundred and twenty eight pages." He finished, picking up the book to glance at the last page. "I'll be back."

Kara stared at her father incredously as he limped out of the conference room and down the hall. She doubted that she could get to page five in an hour but she started writing faster, mashing her words up as much as she could and using shortcuts too.

&

House entered Cuddy's office without permission, slamming the door into the wall and then letting it close back on itself as he stood in front of her. Cuddy glared up at him from the intrusion that had made her jump and make a jagged line all the way down the page. She glanced around and then frowned. "Where's Kara?" She asked.

"Doing her punishment." He answered lazily, picking up one of the pens on Cuddy's desk and then placing it in his jacket pocket.

Cuddy raised her eyebrows. "Still? What's the punishment?"

House grinned wickedly. "Punishments. I made her carry messages from Wilson to me and then some paperwork to Cameron for no reason, and now she's copying diseases and the symptoms on to paper." He answered proudly. It was a good punishment.

Cuddy looked at him in shock. "I have to admit, House, that I had doubts that you would make her do something incredibly horrible, but you proved me wrong." She said, smiling up at him. Maybe House was maturing slowly.

House smirked. "I know, I'm that good." He told her egotistically, his chest puffing out slightly.

There was a moment of silence before Cuddy gasped. "Oh, Kara's school is having an in-service day tomorrow." She began, pulling up the school's calendar from one of her desk drawers.

"And you're gonna give me the day off to spend with Kara?" House asked hopefully.

Cuddy looked up at him sharply with an unamused look on her face. "No offense but I wouldn't let you spend the whole day with Kara without giving her a survival packet first." She told him, rolling his eyes at his ridiculous comment.

House frowned. "It's taken. Besides, you all ready left her with me once." He pointed out, as if that would help with his case.

"I know and looked how well that turned out. You freaked out when our daughter had her first period." Cuddy said. "I'm thinking that maybe she could spend the day with each of her grandparents."

"Not mine." House advised quickly.

"House, she has a right to know her grandparents." Cuddy told him with a sigh. House glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, we can't just keep her here. Someone will notice and complain. I'm sorry, but that is just how it's going to be." Cuddy said, giving him a look which clearly meant that was the last word.

House gave her an icy glare and slipped out of the office. Cuddy watched him leave with a shocked expression. No nasty comments? Frowning, she turned back to her paperwork.

&

The door opened to the conference room and Kara looked up frantically, seeing her father enter the room. "It hasn't been twenty minutes yet, has it? I'm just on..." She paused for a moment, finishing a word before flipping the page in the book. "I'm just on page four!"

"Relax." He told her soothingly, coming up to her side and closing the book. "You're going to be going through hell tomorrow so I might as well give you the rest of the day off." He picked the book up, examining it. "Put that up on the top shelf over there." He pointed to the place.

Kara took the book from him and walked to the shelf, trying to place the book on the top shelf of the very tall bookshelf. She managed to get it in there and grinned triumphantly at House before frowning. "What do you mean by I'm gonna be going through hell tomorrow?" She asked.

"Come on, it's all most time for me to leave." House told her, glancing at the clock.

"You came in late, though. Mom says you have to stay because..." Kara began.

"Cuddy says a lot of things." He pointed out. "Doesn't mean I care."

"You should." Kara told him. House rolled his eyes and started out of the conference room, beckoning Kara to follow him. Somehow or other, Kara and House both made it out of the hospital without Cuddy noticing and House drove Kara to his house. When he reached the house, he called the hospital so they could give a message to Cuddy that House had Kara with him. He wasn't going to call her himself. That was like committing suicide. Or becoming deaf. After he called and left a message, he turned his cell off and unplugged his phone. Kara watched him with an amused expression on her face. "Mom's gonna kill you when she comes and picks me up."

"I doubt your mother would commit murder." House said, giving Kara a 'get real' expression. He sat down beside and went to reach over for the remote, only to find that it wasn't in its usual place. Muttering something under his breath, House stood up and began to gaze around the room.

"Dad, how did you and mom meet?" Kara suddenly asked, causing House to take his attention off of the missing remote and settle on his daughter.

"Why would want to know that?" House asked carefully, wondering where that question had come from. Usually there was a warning to these types of thing, like when someone started talking about their parents and stuff. It just wasn't usually out of the blue. Kara stared at him sternly. "Ask your mother. She remembers it probably better than I do." Kara's eyes widened slightly and he realized what he had sounded like. "She's better with the story telling." He added.

Kara sighed heavily and stuck her hand down in the couch's cushions, where the remote had fallen and clicked the television on. After receiving a deathly glare from House, she surrendered the remote over to him. After about an eternity, Cuddy finally made it to House's apartment. She knocked on the door loudly and House answered. "Why are both of your phones off?" Cuddy demanded angrily, putting her hands on her hips as she stalked into the apartment.

"Since when have you been worried about my phones? Because, if you want, I should be getting the bills pretty soon." House countered easily, sitting back down on his couch and putting his gaze on the television.

Cuddy sighed and stepped in front of the TV, blocking it from his view. "I need to be able to contact my child if the need arises." She told him.

"Cuddy, I do enjoy your rotund ass most of the time, but when you use it to block my TV, then I get a little upset." House said, grabbing Cuddy's forearms and moving her out of the way. Cuddy had to admit that House was surprisingly strong. She glared up at him and he glared down at her.

Kara, who had just come from the bathroom, stopped and stared at her parents, who were inches a part from each other. Her heart raced as she thought they were going to kiss! She took a step back and Cuddy spotted her. "Come on, Kara. It's time to go home." She said as House let her arms go. Kara nodded and started towards the door, catching the irrated glance at House thrown by Cuddy. Cuddy followed Kara out, leaving House with his now unblocked TV.

&

Kara stood uncomfortably between Cuddy's parents as they waited in line for the zoo. The orphanage might have been poor but even the state sponsored trips to the zoo. So many trips to the zoo that Kara knew all most all the names of the incarcerated animals. Only this time, it was good thing to keep them in the cages, because some of the animals would probably end up running ramped and killing people. Her grandfather paid the money and they entered the zoo. When House had said that tomorrow would be hell, she didn't think he would be right. Cuddy had warned her that her parents, Kara's grandparents, were still in slight shock and probably wouldn't know what to do with Kara. She had advised her to be nice and be thankful. Two things that Kara all most never used.

"What animal do you want to see first?" Her grandmother asked, looking over at Kara with fake excitement.

"Um, it doesn't matter." Kara answered quietly. Apparently that was the wrong answer, since her grandmother linked arms with her like a schoolgirl and led her off to the first exhibit.

"We can see all the animals." She told Kara. Kara groaned inwardly. So that was where Kara found herself for most of Monday morning, being dragged around by her mother's parents and seeing animals that were too interested in sitting then doing anything else. Finally, her grandfather's cell began to ring, signaling that Cuddy was calling, in which they would meet for lunch and then Kara would be shipped off to another pair of grandparents.

They exited the zoo at a leisurely pace and met up with Cuddy in the hospital's cafeteria. House was there too, looking as if he was dragged here against his will. "So, did you have fun?" Cuddy asked as Kara sat down in her respected place between House and Cuddy.

Kara finished her bite of pizza before answering. "Yeah, we went to the zoo." She answered, nodding her head. She swore she all most gave herself a migraine from not rolling her eyes and not saying something sarcastic.

"That's sounds cool. I haven't been at the zoo in years." Cuddy quipped.

House coughed loudly and snatched his drink, drinking into it deeply. Kara had a good feeling that it was to keep him from saying something. Cuddy still sent an icy glare his way when her parents were looking elsewhere before continuing on with her conversation to them. The time passed fairly well and Kara waiting in Cuddy's office with her parents for House's parents. House looked slightly worried and kept trying to think of excuses to leave. Cuddy kept denying him right of passage.

Finally, House's mother entered the room. "I'm sorry we're late." She said, smiling tiredly.

"It's quite alright. Kara, sweetie, are you ready?" Cuddy told her, looking over at her. Kara nodded and approached her grandmother carefully, wondering why her father seemed to hate his parents. She beckoned for Kara to follow and walked out of the office, Kara right on her heels. Cuddy looked over at House. "I'm sure she'll be fine." She assured him, reaching up and patting House on the shoulder.

"Easy enough for you to say. You don't know them like I do." House reminded her, sighing and glancing over at Cuddy. "Now, I have a question." Cuddy raised an eyebrow at him. "Kara's wondering how we first met."

"What's the question?" Cuddy asked, looking at him confused.

"What am I suppose to tell her? That you..." House said quickly, remembering the story quite well.

Cuddy's eyes widened and she placed her hand over his mouth, shutting him up. "No! We'll come up with a story." She told him frantically. House grinned mischievously and nodded.

&

When Kara got into the car where House's father was waiting for them, she knew that something wasn't right. First of, the car was on, but nothing was playing. Who sits in a car with nothing on and waits? The man that she was supposed to call grandfather sat rigidly in his seat and stared blankly out ahead. Once they were both buckled in, he shifted into reverse and exited the hospital's parking lot without a word. "Where did you go earlier?" Her grandmother asked politely, breaking the silence.

"The zoo." Kara answered quietly, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Her grandmother nodded and they continued driving until they got to the mall. Her grandfather parked and they exited the car. House's mother linked arms with her as well, but it was different then when Cuddy's mother did it. "How about some shopping? You can get anything you want." She offered pleasantly. Kara smiled weakly and they entered a busy store, looking through clothes. Kara all ready had enough clothes and it wasn't like she could wear them at school. She had to wear a dumb old uniform. Time seemed to slow down painfully and soon, her grandmother had to go to the bathroom. "Do you have to go?" She asked her, putting down a shirt.

"No." Kara answered glumly, trying to keep her gaze off of House's father. He stood against the wall, not leaning on it but looking like he was, and just watched us quietly. She nodded, went up to her husband and told him something, before leaving Kara in the jungle of clothes' fixtures and ugly mannequins. Kara, finally gaining up the courage, put the jacket she was looking at down and walked over to her grandfather quietly, leaning against the wall beside him. "Hi." She said, looking over at him.

Nothing. She tried to more times with the same results.

"Usually when someone says hi, it requires for the other person to say hi back." Kara said, her patience wearing thin.

"Really?" The man asked, raising his eyebrow. "I heard it also requires someone to know you and like you."

Kara was quiet for a minute, feeling like she had just been hit. That was a double whammy. One that Kara would have been proud to have said, but not to have been said at. "Wha...you...you don't like me?" Was the only sentence that could have come out right in Kara's mind. She had many thoughts whirling around from that response.

"It's not that I don't like you. I don't like this situation. Having to baby-sit my son's mistake. If he wasn't so damn..." The man said slowly, as if he didn't really mean the first part.

Kara stopped him before he got on a roll. "Baby-sit? I'm thirteen. I don't need a babysitter. And, I might be a mistake, but at least my dad's taking care of it." Kara defended, not liking him all ready. Calling Kara a mistake was not a good thing.

"Taking care of it?" House's father mused. "I know my son. He doesn't have to lie about not being with _your _mother." He started. There was a way he said those words and that entire sentence that made Kara want to kick him in the back of leg like she did to House when he refused to treat her and Skyler.

"You don't have any right to talk about my parents like that!" Kara snapped loudly.

"I have a right to talk about anyone, actually." He pointed out. That was when Kara snapped.

"No wonder my dad doesn't like you! You're an asshole! A snobby prick that has no idea about anything! My dad warned me about you! God, what..." Kara said venomously, causing people to look over at the duo. Suddenly, there was a stinging area of her cheek, where House's father had slapped her.

"Keep your voice down." He hissed angrily. He began saying something back to Kara, but Kara didn't hear a word. Her cheek felt as if it was on fire. Tears stung in her eyes and she looked over as her grandmother came into view. Her grandfather stopped when she came into earshot.

"What's wrong, Kara?" She asked worriedly.

"I want to go back to the hospital. Now." Kara answered firmly.

Oh! I bet you weren't guessing that! Review and you will be pleasantly rewarded! Cough...cough...hint...hint...huddy...hint...hint...cough...cough. ;)


	21. Hospital Front Smackdown

I'm so sorry that it took me so long! First, I got grounded, and then I suddenly had a bit of Writer's block. It wasn't coming out the way I wanted it too. I'm not really happy with this chapter. Yet again, I'm sorry it took me so long and I still hope you enjoy it some.

Chapter Twenty One: Hospital Front Smackdown

House raised an eyebrow at Cuddy, his lips pulled into a smug sort of smile as he watched Cuddy think about a censored story of how they met. No matter how many years ago that was, he would doubt if he would ever forget that night. She bit her lip and looked over at him. "The library." She offered. House only had to stare at her for a moment before she shook her head. "No, of course not. She's not stupid."

"We can go by the same story, just switch it a bit." House said, leaning against Cuddy's desk and playing with his cane in his hands.

"I think she'll be able to tell what is real and what isn't, House. She's too much like you." Cuddy countered, shaking her head.

"Well at least she'll be able to dominate in the work force." He added with a laugh.

"Yeah and end up having no friends and no life." Cuddy quipped. She laughed for a moment before shaking her head and turning to face House. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "So House, how do you intend on making up this story?" House stared at his cane as he began to replay the day.

.:Flashback:.

_The pulsing lights and the vibrating floor was enough to give anyone a headache. There was a bet going on for the past hour as people wondered on how long the speakers would last as they continued to blast music so loud that even the alcohol in Gregory House's glass, in which he was holding, was shaking. He was currently leaning against the vibrating wall, which was giving him a pleasant back rub at the same time, as he surveyed the crowd. His friends stood around him as well. Who exactly was he looking for? No one in particular. A dance partner maybe? The room was packed with people and people were dancing everywhere. On tables, on the floor, and on the speaker itself. The DJ was swaying slightly in his area, looking like he had too much to smoke, and was about to just call it a night. _

_"Damn, maybe there is a heaven." He heard one of his friends shout in his ear, even though he was right next to him. _

_His eyes followed his friend's and saw exactly who they were staring at. Marsha Blender. The fair haired beauty who gave every girl self-esteem problems. Tonight was no different. She had somehow wiggled her butt into one of the tightest and shortest dress he had ever seen. Her face was heavily made up so she looked more like a china doll then a person. Gregory fought to roll his eyes. Yes, Marsha's body was appealing to the eyes and she was so easy everyone called her the Easy Bake Oven behind her back, but he wasn't that interested in ending up with an STD. "I believe your definition of heaven is a bit off, man." Greg told his friend. _

_Of course, after he said that, Marsha turned her radar, which instantly led her over to them. In the distance, Greg could barely make out some girl taking off her shirt and getting on top of one of the tables. He turned his attention back on Marsha as she stood in front of them. "You guys sure look like you're having fun." She said loudly, doing that weird thing where she somehow looks up at the boys through her thick eyelashes._

_Greg kept quiet and waited for a moment as his friend slowly snapped out of his reverie. "Yeah..." He said with a sigh. He looked around at Greg. "So, uh, wanna dance?" _

_Marsha looked over at Greg for a moment and then back at his friend. "Sure." She answered and took his outstretched hand before disappearing on the dance floor. _

_He rolled his eyes and raised his glass, downing all the alcohol he had left in there. He was sure going to need it. He crumpled the plastic cup in his hand and glanced around absentmindedly for a trashcan when suddenly someone had caught his eye. She wasn't to totally overdressed nor was she undressed either. She seemed perfect, or at least the back end of her. "Dude, who is that?" He asked, jamming his elbow in the next friend's ribs that he could reach._

_"Ouch! Huh, who?" His other friend said, leaning against him for balance as he tried to see where Greg was looking at. He pointed and he nodded. "Lisa Cuddy, new girl on campus."_

_Greg nodded, pushing the crumpled cup in his friend's hand. "Here, take this. Papa's got work to do." He said, walking away from his friend and heading over to her. She was with a few other new girls who he didn't seem to notice but it didn't matter to him. Running a hand through his hair, he made his way over to them casually. He brushed her hard enough to make her turn and want to know how had just bumped into her. "Oh, sorry."_

_Lisa turned around, her eyes narrowed slightly, but as her eyes traveled upwards, it immediately lost its anger. Her eyebrows rose slightly and he saw the two girls with her exchanged glances. "Oh, its okay. I'm fine." She said quickly._

_Greg nodded and put on one of his famous smirks. "So, looks like you're having lots of fun." He said, totally using Marsha's line on them._

_"Well, I don't know about a lot of fun, but it is humorous." She offered him, gazing out into the crowd. He nodded. _

.:End of Flashback:.

House was brought from his deep thoughts by the prodding fingers of Cuddy on his shoulder. "House, you okay?" She asked worriedly. She was standing over him and she had a look of genuine concern on her face. House raised an eyebrow at her. "You spaced out for a minute." She said.

"I was thinking." He answered, pulling himself up on his feet beside her. "Just tell her we met on the dance floor. We don't have to mention the drugs, or the alcohol, or the things that happened after the police came." He grinned slightly. Cuddy being wild was something that he would never forget.

"Fine, fine. Just send her to me. I don't trust you with this story." She told him. "Now don't you have work to do?" House rolled his eyes but took his leave. He wasn't going to give her a chance to make him do his clinic work early.

&

The ride to the hospital was a long and quiet one. Kara sat in the backseat behind House's mother, glaring out at the window the entire time. She didn't try to talk to anyone. Sure, she had her fair share of punishments and being swat at, but no one just slapped her just to be quiet. There were always a few warnings or something. Besides, he shouldn't have touched her anyway. It seemed like an eternity when the car pulled into the hospital's parking lot. Kara didn't even wait until the car stopped. She unbuckled herself and opened the door, bolting out of the car and towards the hospital's automatic doors, ignoring her grandmother's calls.

She entered the door and headed straight for her mother's office. She threw open the doors to only find it empty. Frowning slightly, she turned on her heels and hurried to the elevator, slipping inside its all ready closing doors. The person in there raised an unamused eyebrow at her and Kara let out a quick sigh as she spotted House's mother enter the hospital just as the doors closed. She punched the button to her dad's floor and tapped her foot impatiently. The elevator doors slid open and Kara pushed past the other person in the elevator and zoomed straight to her father's office. Of course, he wasn't there.

Kara felt like ripping her hair right out of her scalp. How could her parents not be where they're supposed to be when she needed them? She pressed her head against her father's glass door. "Kara, you're back early." Wilson's voice said beside her. She looked up at him tiredly and then in confusion as he saw his face turn from casual to worried. "Kara, what happened?" He said, pointing to the cheek that was still stinging. "Did someone hit you?"

"Where's my mom and dad?" Kara asked quickly. If anyone would know it would be Wilson.

"I just saw them arguing over there." Wilson answered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. He opened his mouth to say something else but Kara hurried past him eagerly.

Kara could hear them before she rounded the corner. They were bickering about a patient. "Mom. Dad." Kara said breathlessly as she approached them.

"House, protocol means something to these people. You can't just do whatever you want!" Cuddy snapped tiredly, crossing her arms and watching House.

"I think being able to live means something to these people to. That's why their here." House justified himself quickly. Both adults were clearly into the argument, neither one of them wanting to lose. Kara sighed and tapped both of her parents' shoulders.

"Kara, what are you doing here so..." Cuddy asked, tearing her eyes off of House and on to her daughter. "What on earth...?" She said, grabbing Kara's chin lightly and turning it so Cuddy could see it better. House's eyes traveled to Kara's cheek and she saw the realization hit.

"He slapped me. He was saying bad things about you guys and I snapped back and he slapped me." Kara said quickly, just in case. And then, as if on cue, House's mother rushed around the corner. Kara had to admit. For an old woman, the woman had some skill with keeping up with her.

"Greg, I..." She started breathlessly, her eyes wide with worry.

"Save it." House snapped, going around his mom and quickly limped down the hallway.

Kara suddenly felt Cuddy's arms on her shoulders and was pushed back to her mom's side. "What happened?" Cuddy asked snappishly, forcing a composed gaze at House's mom.

"I'm not positively sure. I left to go to the bathroom and when I came back, Kara looked dumbstruck." House's mom explained slowly, her eyes drifting over to Kara. "Look, I had no idea that my husband was going to do something like this."

Kara waited until her mother's hands dropped from Kara's shoulders and she began talking in a hushed but firm tone to her grandmother. Kara took a few hesitant steps backward, out of her mother's peripheral vision, before dashing around the corner, ignoring the closed elevator and pushing the stairs door open. Of course, no one was on the stairs, so Kara flew down them quite quickly. She opened the stairs door to only immediately run right back into the stairwell as her father exited the elevator. She waited until he was near the doors before sneaking out of the stairwell. She wasn't sure if he would want her to follow him, so she wasn't going to take the chance and let him find out.

She walked quickly to the doors, peering out of them and easily spotting her father and her grandfather. This time he was out of the car. Did he know that House would come? House limped straight right up to him and with his back turned to Kara, she guessed the confrontation started. Cursing at the doors, she opened them slowly and tiptoed out of the hospital, trying to keep out of view.

"You have no authority to hit my daughter. I don't care about whatever she called you, because it's probably true." House snapped venomously. Kara's eyebrows rose slightly from the tone in her father's voice. She didn't know what fight would be worse. Cuddy's or House's? Something was muttered back at House, which Kara didn't hear, but House obviously did.

"Kara!" Cuddy's voice suddenly said behind her. Kara jumped and swirled around to see her mother glaring at her, her chest rising up and down rapidly meaning she came down the same way Kara did. House's voice could be heard above Cuddy's but Kara was too busy paying attention to Cuddy to understand what he was saying. Cuddy looked up worriedly at House. Kara glanced his way and in the nick of time too. Suddenly, House's fist was flying and House's dad was on the ground. Cuddy gasped and rushed over to House's side. "House! What did you do!?" She yelled hysterically, even though it was quite obvious what House had done.

House's lips were in a firm line and he refused to look at either Cuddy or his father as he turned to face the hospital. Cuddy grabbed his shoulder, trying to stop and reason with him. She knew another lawsuit was probably on the way right now. Kara stayed put for a moment, glancing over at her grandfather who was still on the ground. Suddenly, Kara found her feet leading her towards him and she kneeled down to him carefully. Kara reached out carefully and rolled him over so she could face him. Her eyes widened and she jumped up. "Dad? Mom?" Kara asked her voice small as she turned around to stare at them. Cuddy stopped her ranting and looked over at Kara as did House. "I think you all most killed him!" She said, pointing over to him.

&

Kara looked up as Cameron entered the living room, a large pizza box in hand. She smiled slightly at Kara and placed the box on the coffee table before sitting down beside Kara. The show that Kara had been watching cut off and a commercial started. Kara leaned over and opened the box, grabbing a slice and taking a bite out of the Supreme pizza. "I'll just drink my spit, I guess." Kara said as she chewed.

Cameron raised an eyebrow at her. "What?" She asked, frowning and glancing around. "Oh! Sorry, where does Cuddy keep the cups?" Cameron said, getting up.

"A cupboard naturally." Kara answered unhelpfully, grinning at her own comment before taking another bite of her pizza. Kara didn't understand completely on why she had to go home and have Cameron baby-sit her. She had tried to reason with her mother about how school wasn't that important and missing a day was nothing, but she didn't agree. Her grandfather was in a stroke thanks to the punch her dad dealt and she was being sent to school like nothing happened. She listened as Cameron opened about five different cupboards before finding the one that had the cups. A few seconds later, Cameron put two cups down on coasters full of milk. "Milk?" Kara asked, her nose wrinkling at the choice.

"Milk is good for you. It…" Cameron began, grabbing her own piece of pizza.

"Yeah, yeah, bones and calcium and stuff. Tastes gross though." Kara interrupted, waving the subject off. There were a few minutes of silence from them as the television continued to inform them about bleach and a brush for pets. "How much are you getting paid?" Kara wondered.

"That's none of your business." Cameron chided, giving a little look that Kara couldn't place.

"Prove it." Kara offered up quickly, raising her own eyebrows.

Cameron let out a sigh. "When you're finished eating, start getting ready for bed. I suppose you're not going to answer me when I ask you where does Cuddy keep the Tylenol, hmm." She said.

"The cabinet above the sink in my mom's bathroom." Kara answered curtly, smirking. Cameron sighed and stood up, walking off. Kara looked over at the clock, which read eight forty. Get ready for bed? This early? Rolling her eyes and making herself comfortable on the couch, Kara slowly picked a pepperoni off her pizza and popped it in her mouth, savoring the flavor slowly. She was going to take her time then.

&

Cuddy sat on the couch beside House in her office, watching him carefully. He was staring quietly at his hands, which twirled the cane absentmindedly. "House, are you okay?" She asked him softly. For a moment, he seemed to not hear her before slowly he raised his gaze and placed it on Cuddy.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered resignedly. She stared at him for a moment and nodded. They sat for a moment in silence. "I'm not sorry that I punched him." House said slowly. Cuddy raised an eyebrow, ready to listen to his explanation. "It felt really good. I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"I don't think that gives you the right to punch him. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm..." Cuddy began carefully, trying to choose her words so it didn't sound like she was reprimanding him.

"Oh yeah, there was. Trust me, you would have wanted to punch him too if you had heard what he said." House interjected somberly.

"And what exactly did he say?" Cuddy asked curious. House shook his head quickly, averting his gaze from Cuddy. "House? Did he say something about Kara?" Nothing. "Me?" House slowly looked over at Cuddy, as if he was trying to act like he was regarding her. But he could have just had easily had said 'Bingo! We have a winner!' "What did he say?"

"Look, it doesn't matter now. It's been taken care of." House said quickly. House watched awkwardly as a weird sort of appreciative look slowly appeared on Cuddy's face. "Oh, for God's sakes, Cuddy, don't get all sappy!" He said as Cuddy wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Just because he stuck up for her didn't mean anything. Did it? He looked down at her before slowly wrapping his arms around her as well. Since she was all over him, he would have to enjoy it.

"House, I have to admit, over the years you make everyone shudder in their shoes and fear for their lives. You might push people away and be terribly rude to them, but you come through when you need too. That's all that matters." She told him sweetly. She was vaguely aware of House's hands on her lower back. It had been awhile since she had gotten a good hug from him. He was wearing a new cologne or something. He smelled great.

"Great. Now you're being sentimental." House said, his hands slowly going into the war zone.

"House." Cuddy said warningly, rolling her eyes. Of course he couldn't resist. House's hands returned to home base, which was just casually thrown around her. She pulled away from him slowly and then stood up. "Come on, your mother needs more comforting."

House sighed and stood up as well. "Way to kill a mood, Cuddy." He told her.

"A mood? What mood are you talking about, House? The mood on how to feel my ass?" Cuddy asked, smirking slightly at him as she headed to the door.

"I'm talking about the sentimental mood you had going on." House answered his face serious.

"Sentimental?" Cuddy sighed. "Let's just go, okay? You have to be there for your mother. And your father. And still be a good influence to Kara."

House sighed and opened the door. "I agree with the first and the last. Not so much the second." House told her tiredly.

Cuddy patted his chest, looking up at him. "You're doing a fine job, House. You really are." She touched House's cheek affectionately. House stared at her for a moment and she stared at him, before slowly realizing how awkward this situation was if anyone spotted them. She took her hand back and went through the threshold, feeling the heat in her cheeks as she did so.

Not the greatest chapter ever, but things will pick up soon. The huddy is happening and will blossom soon enough. Please review!


	22. It's Superhero Time

All right, this is a fun chapter! I thought Foreman and Wilson needed some love, which was overdue! So I hope you enjoy. I really did. I'm happy with this chapter! Disclaimer: Don't own nothing!

Chapter Twenty Two: It's Superhero Time!

"Hey, Kara, what's up?" Riley said as Kara approached the tree that bordered the school's property. It was a huge tree with large roots bursting through the ground and looking as if it was trying to trip someone. Riley was perched up on one of the roots, leaning against the trunk.

"Nothing. Where's Skyler?" Kara asked, nodding to him and sitting on another root beside him. Riley shrugged and they sat in silence before Skyler exited a car and hurried over to the tree. "Skyler, way to be late!"

"Late? I'm not late." Skyler told her, frowning and checking her watch before glancing around at all the students milling around the school grounds, waiting for the bell to ring.

"You usually always show up before me." Kara pointed out indifferently. Skyler rolled her eyes heavily and collapsed on the root with Kara. "You look tired."

"I am tired. I stayed up late studying." Skyler agreed.

"Studying?" Kara asked, alarmed.

"Yeah. Don't you remember? We have like five different tests." Skyler answered, furrowing her brows at Kara.

Kara's eyes widened and she stared at Skyler. "You got to be kidding me." She whispered to her friend. Riley looked mildly surprised. Skyler frowned and shook her head. "Damn it! Why didn't you call me and remind me!" Kara cried out, putting her head in her hands. Her parents wouldn't be happy with her if she ended up flunking out of the academy. The bell rang and Kara slowly stood up, grimacing. "Here goes hell again." She muttered to herself as she trudged slowly to the school.

&

Mr. Lasseder sat in his desk with the world's most stupidest grin on his face as he surveyed the classroom. His comb over was still in the same sorry state and looking at him made Kara start to sweat. It was like ninety degrees in the room and he had his sweater on and buttoned all the way up to the top. Kara scowled and glared down at the test that sat on her desk. The test was four pages long and required three short answers and a page essay over some stupid book that Kara hardly remembered reading in his class. That was countable though, since Kara usually laid her book flat on her desk and looked like she was taking notes when in reality she was doodling on a piece of paper as Mr. Lasseder read the book out loud to the class with way too much excitement.

Sighing heavily, she rubbed her forehead and circled an answer, not even sure if it was right or not. Weirdly enough, everyone seemed to not remember this test as well, except for Skyler who was the first finished. Kara finished second to last and pressed her face against the cool wood of her desk. A headache was slowly becoming apparent and she was sure, by the end of the school day, it would be full born and hurt really bad.

The bell rang loudly, startling Kara from her dazed stupor, and she pulled herself up and headed to homeroom. She sat in front of Riley and turned to face him in her desk. "Riley, what other tests do we have?" She asked worriedly.

Riley bit his lip. "Science and arithmetic for sure. I'm not sure what else." Riley answered.

"What is the test in science about?" Kara asked.

"The bones of the body. I'm gonna fail." Riley answered. Kara stared at him. "You probably know them though, since your parents are doctors."

"Yes, they're doctors, but that doesn't mean I magically inherit my parents' wits about all the bones in the freakin' body. That's like two hundred and something bones! I don't know any of them! And I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fail arithmetic too!" Kara groaned unhappily and slammed her head into Riley's desk with despair.

"Oh crap. We're both in trouble." Riley said, patting Kara's head on his desk.

Kara picked up her head and glared at him. "I'm not a puppy. Don't pat my head." She told him. Riley smiled weakly and nodded, leaning in his chair. Homeroom past by fast enough and soon she was in history. Lucky enough for Kara, she paid attention in History, only because the teacher was mildly funny. She was pretty sure she aced the test and then entered Science and that good feeling drained right out of her as a fake skeleton hung in the front of the class. They were required to pull out a sheet of paper and when the teacher pointed to a bone, they were suppose to write the answer on the paper. Kara's answers ended up being Skull, shoulder, arm bone number one, arm bone number two, and so on and so on. Arithmetic was harder than any of the other tests, because it required the most thinking. Kara struggled with some of the math and for the hell of it, on a question that said 'Find X', she circled the x and wrote 'Found It' on her paper.

The last test happened to be in Orchestra, but that was simple. It was scales. Kara played the scales on the piano flawlessly and got a grin and a thumbs up from Mr. S. Choir was a drag since they sung another cheery song that required everyone to smile, when Kara really just wanted to sulk about the tests. Finally, the bell rang and Kara was dismissed from school. With her head throbbing painfully, she trudged to the outside and waited for someone to pick her up.

The minutes ticked by and soon, there was about three kids left, waiting for their parents to pick them up. Kara fidgeted uncomfortably, staring at the road curiously. A car came up to the curb and Kara squinted her eyes at it to see who was in the car. Wilson sat in the car, waving at her from inside. Kara shouldered her backpack and stomped over to the car, flinging open the door, collapsing into the passenger seat, and slamming the door close.

Wilson offered her a quiet smile as he shifted into drive. "So, how was your day?" He asked nicely as they pulled from the curb.

"Horrible. Yours?" Kara answered briefly, crossing her arms after she had buckled herself.

"Long so far, and it isn't finished yet." Wilson answered slowly. "Why was it so horrible?"

Kara sighed. "I don't want to talk about it. You got any Tylenol?" She asked instead, throwing a glance at him.

"Not with me." He responded. "You know, talking about..."

"Look, Dr. Phil, I'm not in the mood for a lecture." Kara snapped viciously.

"Okay then." Wilson told her, faking a smile at her. They drove in silence for a few minutes.

"How's my parents?" Kara asked softly, her facial expression turned to one of geunine concern. She hadn't seen her parents since yesterday after the fight. Cameron stayed with her all night and then in the morning drove her to school.

Wilson let out a heavy sigh. "Your mother is worried that your father will get sued. Your grandfather is okay. Your grandmother wants your father and your grandfather to talk out their differences or at least both apologize. Your mother doesn't know what to do so...yeah. They're both tired but okay." He answered somberly.

Kara sighed and leaned against Wilson's arm. "So, Wonderboy, it's up to you and me to lighten the mood, right?" She asked, flashing him a brilliant smile at him.

Wilson pursed his lips, trying not to smile at her. "Just because you're House's child, doesn't mean you get to call me Wonderboy. I'm older than you." He pointed out.

"He's Wonderboy! Saving the world like playing with toys! Flies like an eagle, stings like a bee. Everything you want him to know, he'll see! A little weird at times and likes diagnosing cancer! He's totally cool and is never a dancer!" Kara sung loudly, shaking her head and body like it was some sort of hit song that ended up being his theme song. Wilson laughed.

&

Kara sat at Cuddy's dining room table, staring at the piece of chicken on her fork, before glancing at her parents. House was chewing his food quietly, staring sullenly at the wall. Cuddy looked physically worn out but she tried to act a bit more animated. They were home and that was the main thing. House's father was getting better and he would be getting out of the hospital in two days. They finished dinner in silence and Kara watched television with her father as her mom finished up the dishes.

House stared at the TV quietly, his arm on the arm of the couch and his chin resting in his hand. His legs were propped up on the coffee table and his other hand was absentmindedly rubbing his thigh. Kara fought with herself to try and converse with her father, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she chewed on her lip until it bled and it was time for her to go to bed.

Kara definitely not looking forward to school the next day and she was right. She scarcely passed the test in English and as predicted, she aced the history. Science and arithmetic she failed and was given three days to make it up. She skipped the after school tutorial that she could have used to make up the tests and was picked up by Wilson yet again.

"Wonderboy." Kara said, nodding to him as she slipped in the car.

"Kara." Wilson told her indifferently. "Your father is overlooking a surgery for his patient and your mother is in a meeting." He added before she asked the question he knew she was going to ask. She nodded and the rest of the drive was silent.

Kara made her way to her father's conference room, where she slammed her science book on the table, causing Foreman, who was in the only one in there at the time, to look up at her sharply from whatever he was doing. "Someone's not happy." Foreman offered.

Kara pursed her lips and sat in the chair right in front of him. "No, I'm not." Kara agreed, glaring down at the book before glancing over at Foreman.

"I suppose you want me to ask you what's wrong from that look, right?" Foreman asked, raising his eyebrow and putting his pen down and leaning against the back of the chair.

"It would make me happy, yes." Kara answered, nodding her head at him.

"Okay then. What's wrong?" Foreman said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kara threw a worried look around the room, noticing that no one else could possibly hear them, before she leaned forward. "Can you keep a secret?" She asked, just in case.

"Yes, as long as it's not something your parents need to know immediately." Foreman answered truthfully.

Kara blinked at him before sighing. "I failed my bone test. I have two days left to retake it and make a seventy." Kara told him.

Foreman nodded slowly. "Bones? Like naming them?" He asked. Kara nodded. Foreman sighed and leaned forward. "You know, you're in a hospital. Everyone in here knows the bones of the body." He told her.

Kara gasped. "Really?" She asked in false surprise before turning sighing. "I know, but I don't want to ask my parents. Hellfire will come down from the clouds before I do." She said.

Foreman grinned. "I don't blame you. House, wouldn't let you live it down."

She frowned. "Thanks." There was a moment of silence as Foreman and Kara stared at each other. "So, I'm guessing that from the silence, you're offering to help me with my problem?" Kara offered.

Foreman sighed heavily, as if it was a burden. "I guess." He said sadly. He laughed and shook his head, grinning. "Yeah, I'll help you."

&

"Fibula. Mandible. Maxamilla. Humerus. Pelvis. Radius. Tibula." Kara answered expertly, grinning as Foreman pointed at the few remaining bones that they had covered several times. They had been in the conference room for about an hour reviewing all the bones that Kara had to learn to past the test.

"Good. You got it. Now there's no way you'll fail." Foreman told her, closing the book that they were using. "Unless you choke." He added.

"Thanks, Foreman, for that inspiring comment." Kara said, frowning slightly at him. She hoped she wouldn't choke. She couldn't fail this. If House found out, she would be reminded it and possibly scolded for it.

"No problem, Kara." Foreman quipped happily, picking up his pen and looking down at his papers.

Just then, the door opened and House limped in followed by Cameron and Chase. House walked past the table but stopped, turning his confused expression onto Kara and Foreman. Kara drummed her fingers on the hard cover of her book and watched Foreman scribble something down. Cameron and Chase took their seats. "What is going on?" He asked slowly, frowning. Everyone slowly looked up at House, confused. "Foreman. Kara." He said quickly.

Foreman looked up at House cautiously. "House, I don't know what you're talking about." He told him.

Kara just stared stupidly at her father. House's eyebrows furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened to Wilson. Wilson stepped into the conference room slowly, raising an eyebrow at Kara from the tension in the room. "What's going on?" Wilson asked.

House glared at Foreman, to Kara, to Wilson. "I'm trying to figure that out from Foreman and Kara." He answered.

"Wilson, you were suppose to get here sooner!" Kara reprimanded quickly, giving him a look of disapproval. House turned to face Wilson wholly this time and Kara made a superhero pose.

"Oh! Sorry, you know, dancing and all that cancer." Wilson told her, smirking slightly.

"What?" House asked, clearly confused now.

Kara stood up and joined Wilson's side. She hit him with her elbow before clearing her throat. "Cuz he's...Wonderboy! Saving the world like playing with toys!" She sang, swinging her head.

"Flies like an eagle, stings like a bee. Everything you want him to know, he'll see!" Wilson sang, dancing in his own style.

"A little weird at times and like diagnosing cancer!" Kara said.

"He's totally cool and is never a dancer?" He said, raising an eyebrow at Kara as he busted his own move.

"Now hold on, it's time for a new superhero's turn. Look out everyone, it's the Green Lantern!" Kara said really quickly, pointing at Foreman.

Foreman's eyebrows shot up. "Bustin' my lyrics, and making peace last. Better be good or I'll whoop your ass!" Foreman quipped quickly.

Kara busted out laughing and Wilson joined in, clapping at Foreman. House, Cameron, and Chase stared at Kara, Wilson, and Foreman in disbelief. House slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his Vicodin, shaking it. "And I'm on drugs?" He offered questionably.

"It's superhero time, Dad." Kara told him innocently.

"Well, in that case, can I be Wolverine?" House asked, shaking his head at his strange daughter.

&

Kara sighed quietly as she headed towards her mother's office. House's patient had a heart attack and everyone jumped up and exited the conference room while they were discussing on whether or not Chase was able to be Thor or Wombat Man. Lucky enough, the distraction had worked and House didn't ask Kara what her and Foreman were doing in the conference room. She didn't think she would be able to lie to him if he asked. He would find out it was about something easy. For him at least. She turned the corner.

"Kara!" Skyler's voice yelled from behind her frantically. Kara, confused, turned around and saw Skyler running for her. Her father turned the corner as well and waited there as Skyler approached her. Skyler gasped for air.

"What?" Kara asked, narrowing her eyes. What was so important that Skyler couldn't wait until tomorrow.

Skyler held up one finger at her, as she caught some more breaths. Skyler finally pulled up and cleared her throat. "Bad news." She said grimly. "Kieler's coming."

"Kieler!?" Kara exclaimed in horror, reeling back away from Skyler as if she had some infectious disease.

Skyler nodded. "Yup. Soon too. Ms. Charles told me to tell you since she couldn't get a hold of you." She said.

"But he hates me! He'll never let me...he'll hate my dad! My mom!" Kara told her worriedly.

"Kara, he's opinion matters. It's either yes or back to the orphanage." Skyler finished. Kara stared at Skyler in shock. Kieler couldn't do that. Could he?

Who's Kieler? Find out by reviewing and I'll update!


	23. Kieler

I am SO sorry guys! School started and I got a little writer's block. It just wasn't coming out right but now its better. I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. I understand if you guys hate me...please don't though. All right then, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Three: Kieler

"Kara, are you okay?" Skyler asked her friend apprehensively, as Kara slowly slid down into one of the clinic's chairs, looking as if she had just lost a bet that decided if she was going to live or not. Kara stared numbly at the wall. "Kara?" She asked again, waving her hand in her friend's face.

"Skyler?" Kara asked weakly. Skyler stopped and stared at her. "Can I borrow your parents?"

Skyler sighed. "No. Kieler will know. Look, it's not that bad. Just..." She started warily, trying to think of anything that Kara could do to get Kieler to like her.

"Not that bad? Do you even remember Kieler?" Kara snapped, raising her voice slightly. The nurse in the clinic looked up sharply and Kara lowered her voice. "Skyler, you have that one nice lady. I have the man who was forced with a crappy job to pay rent and hates me!"

"Don't give him a reason to hate you more, Kara. Make him think you changed." Skyler told her. She looked over at the corner where her father was waiting. "Look, I have to go."

"When is he coming?" Kara asked quickly.

"Tomorrow or the next day, I don't remember." She answered. Kara collapsed back down in the clinic chair, looking in pain. "Bye, Kara." She said softly. Kara barely raised her hand to wave back at her friend before she joined her father and left. Kara chewed her lip quietly, glancing around her. She got up and quickly ran back towards the elevators.

&

"We have a problem!" Kara yelled as she barged into Wilson's office. "A very, very, very bad problem that my parents can't know about! You need to understand the amount of horror that's running through my veins, Wilson. I mean, you think you have problems. Wait until..." Kara stopped her monologing as she realized what Wilson was doing. He was kicked back in his chair and his feet were on the desk. There was only one person that Wilson would act like that around. Slowly, Kara turned. "Dad..." She trailed off.

House stared up at Kara, slightly amused. "So, what is this problem?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at him. He was slightly hurt that she had to go behind their backs to Wilson, but Wilson was his friend and Wilson would most likely tell him everything. So it was win-win situation.

Kara straightened herself up as tall as she could. "You know, now that I, uh, think about it, it's not that important. It can wait." She answered slowly, taking a step back and fearfully groping behind her back for the door handle.

"Kara." House said crustily, standing up and towering over his daughter easily. She looked up at him. "Sit." He pointed at the now vacant seat he had just occupied. Kara dropped her searching hand and slowly made her way and sat down in the warm chair. House perched on the arm of the chair. "Go on; tell Wilson what you were going to tell him."

Kara grimaced and stared helplessly at Wilson. "Umm, this is really awkward, Dad." Kara offered.

"Do you want me to get your mother up here too?" He threatened.

Kara's shoulders sagged. "You're probably going to say she has to know this anyway." She told him despondently. There was no point in waiting for the inevitable. Might as well get this over with once then do it twice.

House exchanged a glance over at Wilson, who looked mildly surprised as well. "Hold on," House said, throwing open Wilson's door. "You," He pointed to a nurse passing. "Tell Cuddy that Kara's bleeding and she needs her help. She's with Wilson." The nurse nodded and House closed the door and took his spot back on the chair's arm.

"She's going to get pissed at you, House." Wilson offered.

House rolled his eyes. "She can't be a total bitch to me with Kara here. She's got the bad news." He said, jerking his thumb over at Kara. Kara scowled at her father and chewed her lip, which was now becoming a habit. They all waited in silence. Wilson had caught Kara's eyes and Kara tried to plead with him silently about how she couldn't just drop the K bomb on them. Of course, he didn't understand what she was trying to say.

The sound of heels clicking across the hallway from outside could be heard from down the hall. She was running. Kara swallowed hard. "Oh my god, Kara are you...?" Cuddy stopped her eyes wide as she took in the bloodless scene before her. Her jaw tightened and her grip tightened on the doorknob as her glaring eyes turn directly for House. "Bleeding?" She repeated dangerously.

House stared at her nonchalantly for a moment. "Who?" He asked. Cuddy's eyebrows shot up and Kara could tell she was trying to hold it back. "Kara has something to say." He interjected.

Cuddy let out a frustrated sigh and turned to Kara. Kara looked up as everyone's eyes were on her. "Um, I...uh...I have to stay after school tomorrow." She said quickly, thinking of the first thing on her mind. She couldn't say that the meanest person on the face of the earth was coming to rip her from her family! Cuddy would have a meltdown!

Cuddy frowned slightly and House's eyebrows rose up slightly. "Why?" Both of them asked at the exact same time.

"Um, I've got some extra things to do at the school?" She said quickly.

"Okay." Cuddy said slowly, turning to face House. "We...need to talk later." She glanced at all of us before walking out of the room.

House rounded on Kara as soon as Cuddy closed the door. "Staying after school? You couldn't have told me this before?" He asked. "Do I have to teach you the difference between a problem and something...that doesn't have to be said at this moment?"

Kara stared at him. "Well, you asked if mom needed to hear this and I said yeah, because I'm her daughter and she would want to know where I am. And then you went off saying I was bleeding so it sounded urgent. Maybe you should have asked." Kara snipped back.

Wilson cleared his throat before a fight could begin. "So, what about dinner?"

&

"How come you didn't tell your parents?" Skyler screeched through the phone at Kara. Kara held the phone back from her ear as Skyler ranted on about Kara's irresponsible behavior. She had gotten home to Cuddy's house just moments ago and Kara escaped to go talk to Skyler. She could hear the yelling going downstairs. Nothing worth eavesdropping. She could hear it from here, but also Cuddy was just informing House not to joke around about Kara bleeding or something.

"I couldn't bring myself to it. I mean, if you knew how they would react, you wouldn't've either." Kara pointed out stubbornly once she was given a chance to talk.

Skyler sighed heavily. Kara could all most picture Skyler rubbing her forehead. "Kara," She began.

"Oh, my mom's coming up here. I gotta go." Kara lied. She hung up and put the phone down.

"Haven't you ever heard of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?" Cuddy snapped angrily from the living room.

Kara rolled her eyes and slipped inside her bedroom. She changed to her pajamas and slipped into her bed and put the pillow over her head.

Cuddy woke her up the next day. "Sorry about last night." Cuddy apologized, smiling sadly at her.

"Oh, it's okay." Kara answered tiredly, sitting up and trying to stare at her mother, but not accomplishing anything from the sunlight.

"It's not okay, but..." She sighed. "You'll understand when you're older. Now, hurry up and get ready for school. I've got breakfast waiting on the table." She said, clapping her hands together. "And clean this room."

&

It was about two o'clock in the afternoon and he had to drive to Princeton Academy. His lip curled and he scoffed at the thought of it. It was obviously a mistake. There was no way in hell that she could have been able to get into that school unless her parents were like loaded. He stopped at the stoplight and he strummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his new Mercedes Benz. The light turned green and he jolted forward quickly, finding the school and parking in the 'Visitor's Parking Space' as it was so happily labeled. The quiet engine turned off and he stepped out in broad daylight.

He put a clipboard on the top and immediately went to straighten his tie. He wore a midnight black, pinstripe suit, with sharp boots, white collared shirt, and tie. His black hair was slightly spiked and sunglasses adorned the bridge of his nose. He was a young man and he thought it unfair to be in charge of unappreciative orphans. Sighing, he grabbed his clipboard again and closed the door, locking it behind him before putting the keys in his pocket.

He found the office easily enough and the lady in there looked up at him expectantly. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"I hope so. I'm here to see a Kara...House." He said, raising his eyebrows as he peered at his papers through his sunglasses.

The lady nodded. "And you are...?" She asked. He didn't look like the two people who had brought her in here to get registered.

"I'm Mr. Kieler, her still legal guardian and her social worker." He answered smoothly, showing the papers on her clipboard. "It's important for me to talk to her."

"All right, let me call her." She said, nodding and taking out the student handbook, flipping to the page with the H's.

Kieler waited somewhat patiently in the office, walking to the far end of the office, viewing some of the awards, and then walking back as she called Kara from her class to the office. Finally, Kara entered the office and stopped dead at the sight of Kieler. She had been hoping he was going to come the next day, not today. Kieler smirked and walked towards her. "Come on." He told her, passing her and heading outside. Kara gulped and followed him outside to his car. "I tried getting in contact with your parents. Left messages on both of their machines." He said as he unlocked the car and opened the door, motioning her to do the same. Kara entered the nice car and got inside.

The seats were leather and nice, still cool from the air conditioning. She buckled herself in and watched as Kieler started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "I see you got a new car." Kara started out softly.

"Yes, I did." He said, frowning slightly. Usually Kara was always the one to start the snide comments and of course, he'd fire them right back at her. But, she hadn't made a comment yet. "So, how is public school?"

Kara frowned. She just realized that since he had checked her out, she wasn't going to be able to make up her test today. Tomorrow was the last day to do it. "It's a bit more difficult then what Ms. Charles taught us." She told him truthfully.

He nodded. "That's because the public school follows a curriculum. So, what about home life? What do both of your parents do?"

Kara sighed. "They're both doctors. My mom is the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. And my dad is head diagnostician there too." Kara answered swiftly.

"Doctors, eh?" He asked, slightly amused. Doctors made good money. "That means they're busy a lot."

Kara straightened slightly. "Yes, but, I always have someone to watch me. My dad has like four people who watch me whenever they..." She began.

"Watch you? So you're parents don't watch you?" Kieler said his voice sharpening.

"What, no! They do it's just..." She trailed off. "Look, they're busy okay, and I'd rather them be saving lives then dealing with me all the time." She snapped angrily.

Kieler kept quiet for a minute. "Could you get in touch with them?" He asked tenderly.

Kara blinked. "Um, I can call them on their cell phone. But I'm not guaranteed an automatic pick up." Kara told him worriedly.

Kieler nodded and pulled into the hospital parking lot. Kara looked up, confused. "You didn't think that I wouldn't come see your parents at work, did you?"

Kara sighed. "I kind of hope you wouldn't." She told him. Kieler laughed and turned off the car.

&

Kieler walked behind Kara as she led the way to House's office. Cuddy wasn't in her office, which was weird since it was usually House who had disappeared. She opened the door to the conference room. "Go away, differential." House snapped, not even looking up to see who it was as he scribbled something on the white board. Cameron and Foreman were throwing out ideas. Chase was the only one who glanced over to see who it was.

"Uh, House." Chase said slowly, turning to face his boss.

"This is no time to ask for a..." House began snidely, turning around. His arrogant face quickly fell to one of his 'What the hell' faces as he took in his daughter with some strange man. "Keep thinking, if that's possible, while Dad takes care of some business." He said quickly to the three before he limped out of the conference room, pulling Kara with him. "What the hell are you doing out of school? And who the hell is he?" House snapped, glaring daggers at Kieler. Kara winced at his choice of vocabulary.

Kieler stared solemnly at House, pursing his lips only slightly. House had to mentally stop himself from tightening his grip on Kara's arm. "Well, I'm guessing you can't get in touch with them." Kieler told Kara somewhat smugly. Was it wrong to enjoy that his orphan may not be able to stay with her parents?

"What are you talking about?" House snapped irritably.

"Hello, Mr. House. I'm Kieler, Kara's other legal guardian and social worker." Kieler said, sticking out a hand at House and putting on his best fake smile.

&

House and Cuddy stood in front of Kieler in an almost military type fashion, watching Kieler with their equally cold blue eyes. Kieler was standing as well, but much more casually, as if he was just regarding them mutually. Kara was stuck in the middle, trying to figure out what to do. "I don't understand why you are here?" Cuddy asked as politely as she could.

"I'm here to see if you're suitable parents or not and Kara's not being ignored." Kieler answered quickly, flipping through a few pages of his clipboard and taking out a sleek, silver pen.

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked, raising her eyebrows at Kieler's choice words.

"Suitable parents or not?" House echoed menacingly. Kara just cringed.

"Yes. Now, how many times has Kara been feeling ill over the past few weeks?" He asked.

"She was in the hospital once..." Cuddy began, frowning.

"What for?" He asked.

"She had Lyme Disease..." She started. Kieler scribbled that down, frowning furiously. "Not with us. She got it when she was still an orphan."

"Okay and how is she supposed to contact you if something happens at school?" He asked on.

"By phone..." House began.

"I called your phone, yet no one answered, so is she just suppose to wait it out or...?" Kieler continued.

"Look," House snapped, causing Kieler to look up sharply. "We're doctors. We know how to take care of kids. Now, let us finishing speaking. Or are you just too stupid to comprehend all of what we're saying?"

"House," Cuddy said, looking worriedly over at him.

"Don't 'House' me, Cuddy." He paused just for a moment, frowning at Cuddy. "You know very well he isn't giving us a chance to explain ourselves, so that we sound like horrible parents." House glared over at Kieler. "Now, listen. You'll sit down and we'll sit down and act like adults."

Kara had to keep from laughing from the look on Cuddy's face when House said adults. "Kara why don't you go help Wilson while we take care of business." Cuddy said, shooing Kara out the door.

Kara opened her mouth to protest but was all ready out the door to say anything. Kara frowned and went to do what she was told. Not listening to her parents was not in her to do list with Kieler around.

"This is a pretty big deal, Kara. You should have warned them." Wilson told her solemnly as he typed something on his computer. He glanced over at her quickly before looking back at the screen then down at the keyboard.

"I know, Wilson." Kara snapped, frowning as she stretched across one of his chairs. Her legs were hanging off the side and dangling, so she could kick the side of it. "You think..." She trailed off as the door opened and House strolled in.

"Come on, Kara, it's time for me to leave." He said to her.

"How did the..." Kara began.

"I'm here, aren't I?" He asked her. She nodded. "That's how it went."

Kara picked herself off of the chair and followed House out of the office and out of the hospital, surprisingly not going for his motorcycle, but Cuddy's car. Kieler's car was still there were he had left it. She sat down in the passenger seat and buckled up, watching House shift into reverse and back out. He went by the front entrance and had to stop for none other than Kieler himself. Kieler stopped for a moment, giving a wide eyed stare at House through the windshield. House smirked at him and waved at him to pass. Kieler booked it across the parking lot to his car. "What did you do? What happened?" Kara asked. She had never seen a man look so...she didn't know exactly what the name of that expression was.

House smirked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased, pulling out of the hospital.

Kara sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat, staring out the window. It served him right.

.: Flashback :.

_An eight year old Kara looked up at the tall man that sat next to her, unsure of what he wanted. He was asking her questions and such, to see if he could find a family fit enough for her. He had this certain aura around him that made her want to run away scared. She didn't know him! He sounded scary and he wouldn't take off those sunglasses. "For God's sake, kid, you can't come up with anything?" He snapped at her, glaring over at her from the clipboard. "What do you not have a brain or something?"_

_"I do too have a brain. Everyone does." Kara pointed out stubbornly._

_"So now you're responsive." He rolled his eyes at her. "You know, you're going to end up with no body if you keep being so weird." He said, scribbling something on the clipboard before getting up and opening the door. "Time's up." He added as he motioned for her to get out._

_Kara slowly stood up, walking unsurely to the door. Where was Ms. Charles? As she exited the room, she barely heard him whisper, "No wonder your parents dumped you." He whispered to himself. It was at that point that Kara decided that he was the enemy. Before she would die, she would somehow voluntarily or involuntarily make him pay. She ended up waiting for another twenty minutes before Ms. Charles came to pick her up._

.: End of Flashback :.

Kara slowly smiled. She guessed that his words came back and bit him in the butt. She just hoped it left a mark.

Yay, Kieler's gone...or so we hope...and now the Huddyness begins...so we hope...lol...it will happen. Review please!


	24. Of Forgery and A Phone Call

Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry for not updating in a long time! With my senior year and work, it's been very crazy busy but I'm getting it all together. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa and whatever else you celebrate. Best wishes for the New Year and I might even update before that! Now please enjoy. I don't own anything but my plot and my characters. I know a lot of you want to kill me for not updating sooner but don't…you wont get to the end…which is coming soon… but not too soon…we gotta have lots of huddyness now don't we?

Chapter Twenty Four: Of Forgery and A Phone Call

"So you have no idea what happened?" Skyler asked, enthralled as Kara told her everything about what had happened. Kara shook her head unhappily. Cuddy refused to talk about it straight up and House would only tease her. "Oh my goodness." Skyler shook her head and rummaged through her notes for the upcoming test that Kara had totally forgotten about.

"I know." Kara groaned, sneaking a glance over at the notes.

"You didn't study, did you?" Skyler griped, frowning at her friend.

"Of course I did." Kara lied, looking straight off into the horizon. Kara saw Skyler roll her eyes and move her paper down so Kara could see them too. The notes were pretty easy. She just hoped the test would be too.

The test, of course, turned out to be way harder than the notes gave away. Kara spent half her time staring at the page in front of her, trying to figure out exactly what it wanted her to do in the first place. Usually the directions were beneficial, but this time they seemed to be a problem in itself. Time was called and Kara waited the next ten minutes in silent apprehension as the teacher slipped the scantrons through the machine quietly before slowly calling each student up to the front. "Miss Rivers." The teacher called. Skyler looked up and headed tentatively up to the teacher's desk. He mumbled a few words to her before handing her the scantron. She turned around and returned to her seat; smiling so wide Kara could have sworn her face could have cracked.

Mr. Lasseder called a few more people up before sending an aloof glare straight at Kara. "Miss House." He said resignedly.

Kara got up and walked the few steps to stand in front of the teacher. At first, Mr. Lasseder had been nice to her because she was new to this whole public school ordeal, like Skyler, but lately he had dished out all his abhorrence on her since she couldn't grasp what he taught. "You missed almost every question. You're failing my class and a few others as well. You know what this means?" He asked his voice like liquid poison.

"No." Kara whispered, alarmed.

"You have your parents sign this," He handed Kara a piece of yellow paper. "And deciding on how much you're failing by with the other classes, the Principal may or may not call your parents for a meeting." He handed her the scantron and picked up the next one. Kara retreated shamefaced to her desk, staring at the yellow piece of paper. Skyler turned her head and gave Kara an inquisitive look.

"I'll talk to you later." Kara mouthed quickly. Was it her or did everyone seem out to get her?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"That's really bad, Kara. You're dad is gonna kill you." Skyler told Kara nervously, her brows furrowed in concern for her life of her friend. Kara sent her a dark glare. "Sorry, that wasn't helpful, but seriously. Don't you pay attention in class?"

"I've been busy, Skyler." Kara snapped irritated.

"Busy with what?" Skyler asked just as annoyed with Kara's fuse-like temper.

"Kieler, for one. I was seriously ill weeks ago. I'm just not totally into this adoption ordeal yet." Kara said miserably.

Skyler sighed and slipped her arm around Kara, giving her a hug. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Just get your mom to sign it and tell her you're having problems or something. You say she's the sappiest one so she should understand. Just don't do anything you'll regret or get you in trouble." Skyler said pulling away from Kara as Kara's ride pulled up.

Kara smirked at Skyler. "You underestimate me, my friend." Kara told Skyler arrogantly. Skyler gave Kara a suspicious glance from the tone of Kara's voice. She knew it all to well. A plan was beginning to form in that scheming mind of hers. Kara waved at Skyler before going towards the car. She opened the door and collapsed in, slamming the door and turning to face none other than her father. She gasped before controlling herself.

"That's the same look I have when I see your mother." House murmured, shaking his head and pulling the car out into the road. "So, how was school?" House asked, turning the radio down to give his daughter his undivided attention.

"Fine." Kara answered quickly, her facial expression indifferent.

House frowned. "Didn't you learn anything interesting at school?" He prodded.

"Umm...yeah." Kara began, thinking quickly. "I learned that if you snort those Ice Breakers mints, you cry. And it just might clear your nasal area too in the process." House looked over at Kara. "I didn't do it!" She told him.

"That's pure stupidity. Don't you guys have tests and work to do in school?" House said, rolling his eyes.

"This was at lunch." Kara reminded him.

"Well what about your classes?" House continued, determined to get something out of his daughter.

Kara opened her mouth then snapped it shut, giving House a sly look. "Mom put you up to this." She stated firmly.

"Are you referring that I only ask what's happening in your life because your _mother_ told me too?" House told her, appalled. Kara glared at him steadily. "Damn, you're good."

"No, I'm observant. Did she threaten you with clinic duty?" Kara asked, shaking her head at her own mother's plans.

"Worse." House told her, grimacing.

"What's worse than clinic duty?" Kara wondered.

"She started on this sappy monologue about if I didn't get my time with you, I was going to regret in later." House answered.

"Ooh. The sap story. Those are bad." Kara agreed.

"How would you know?" House demanded, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Orphanages are full of them and most of them are made up." Kara reminded him. House nodded. "Don't worry dad, I got your back." Kara slid down in her seat slightly, now fully sure that this awkward conversation would soon end.

"That's my girl." House said, turning up the radio. He suddenly was taken by surprise. Did he really just say that? He took a secret glance at his daughter, who stared absentmindedly out the window, and smirked. He liked that.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kara carefully entered Cuddy's office, taking great care that no one saw her go in. She crossed the room and sat in her chair, glancing around furtively before going back to her mother's messy, paper ridden desk. Vigilantly, she picked a paper from a stack and opened it up, glancing down at the bottom. There, on the fine line was her mother's signature. Dr. Lisa Cuddy. She took a piece of white paper and pressed it against her mother's signature. She needed to practice first before she could forge the signature on the paper with confidence. She traced the swirly writing for a few minutes before taking her paper out and forging her mother's signature conscientiously. She sighed when she was done and admired her handy work. This could come in handy later on. She knew it was against the law but wasn't murder against the law too. Which was more insignificant? She chose forgery.

She folded the paper and slipped it in her pocket. She put Cuddy's signed hospital paper in the stack and picked up the paper with all the practice signatures. "She might be in here." Cuddy's voice said from outside of her office. Kara looked up shocked for a minute and then worried.

"Why on earth would she be in your office?" House asked.

Kara dashed for the paper shredder, stuffing the paper in the machine and hearing the satisfied shredding noise before tripping over her own feet and tumbling over her mother's coffee table, falling on the floor in between the couch and the table, giving herself a good bruise around her legs. The door swung open quickly and both Cuddy and House walked in with apprehensive gazes. "Kara, sweetheart, are you okay?" Cuddy asked, hurrying over to her and offering Kara her hand.

Kara grabbed it and with Cuddy's help, got up stiffly. "What happened?" Cuddy asked, dusting Kara off.

"I, uh, was sleeping and I fell off the couch...?" Kara said awkwardly.

"Huh." Was House's reply. He had his eyebrows slightly raised as if he didn't believe Kara's little story. Kara looked over at her mom instead, ignoring House. "It's time to go home, kid." House finally said, sighing.

"Okay. Bye, Mom. See you soon." Kara said lightly, smiling. She turned and quickly exited her mom's office, hearing her father's cane hitting the floor behind her. They reach the elevator and got in silently, making the one person in there exit.

"Sleeping and you fell off the couch?" House asked, amused. "Come on, even Chase can lie better than that."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Kara asked instead, raising one of her own eyebrows.

"What were you doing in your mother's office?" House persisted, raising up to his full height and giving a demeaning look at his daughter.

"Sleeping." Kara lied.

"You weren't sleeping." House insisted.

"How do you know I wasn't sleeping?" Kara asked instead, glaring at her dad.

"There's a difference between seeing a person stumble over a table and a person woke up from falling on a table while sleeping." House told her obviously.

"And you would know how...?" Kara asked, now interested on how he came over this revelation.

House narrowed his eyes at his daughter. "I will find out." He threatened.

"I have nothing to hide." Kara said, opening her arms up wide. House rolled his eyes and put his arm on Kara's head.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

House avoided Cuddy's office the next morning and entered his office. He sat down in his chair and sighed. He had gotten in trouble with Cuddy last night for taking Kara out for Chinese Food. After the first three seconds, House pictured Cuddy naked and the argument didn't reach his ears. When Cuddy finally recognized the weird glaze over his eyes, she stomped on his foot before walking off with Kara. Cuddy had dropped Kara off at school and he hoped that he would avoid her for most of the day.

He ended up getting lucky and having most of the morning to terrorize Cameron, Chase, and Foreman by sending them to do menial errands. He jumped slightly when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the unrecognized number. "Yes?" He asked.

"Dr. House?" The man on the other line asked.

"This is he." House confirmed.

"This is Principal Keller from Princeton Academy. I'm calling on concern of your daughter, Kara House." Principal Keller said coolly.

"What happened?" House asked quickly, worried.

"Your daughter's failing three classes and I believe that we'll need a parent teacher conference." He answered.

House straightened in his chair. "All righty then. I think we can do that." Principal Keller began to say something. "Just one moment, do we have to bring her with us or can we leave her at home?"

"She doesn't come." Principal Keller confirmed.

"Good, that means we can beat her before and after." House said optimistically as he was met with silence on the other line.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"So, who signed your paper?" Skyler asked sympathetically as Kara and her waited for their rides.

"My mom." Kara answered simply, offering Skyler an apathetic smile back.

"Are you grounded for life or...?" Skyler trailed off.

"No." Kara said laughing slightly at her friend's worry for her.

"See, I told you she would understand!" Skyler exclaimed.

"Oh she understands that she knows nothing about me failing that test." Kara told Skyler.

Skyler tilted her head sideways slightly. "Wait...Kara...you didn't!" She hit Kara on the shoulder. "Forgery is against the law!"

"So is murder!" Kara pointed out.

"What does this have to do with murder?" Skyler asked her eyes wide.

"My dad will murder me if he knew." Kara answered.

"Oh, please, Kara. You're being melodramatic." Skyler said.

Kara opened her mouth to say something but saw the car instead. "I'll call you later." Kara said over her shoulder, bouncing over to the car. She stopped short when she saw her mom in the passenger seat. She slowly opened the backseat car door and sat down in the car. It was too quiet to be normal and there was a kind of tension in the air where she could feel it.

"You want to hear something funny, Kara." House said gently, glancing up at the rearview mirror.

"Hmm?" Kara asked.

"I got a call today and it was your principal. He said that you were failing three classes." House said lightly.

Kara froze. "You're right that is funny." Kara said forlornly, trying to laugh it off.

"It's not as funny as what's about to happen to you." House said ominously.

"House," Cuddy warned him. He turned to give her a meaningful stare before they both looked away, apparently having one of those creepy, silent parent conversations with each other's eyes. Kara gulped nervously and stared at the window to look at Skyler, who was now blissful and unaware that Kara might be killed that night.

Dun, dun, dun! Poor Kara. Now, what happens at home and the meeting? Review and find out!


	25. Punishments and The Conference

All right, another update...and promptly I might add. I hope you enjoy it! You know the disclaimer.

Chapter Twenty Five: Punishments and The Conference

Kara's body locked up as soon as House pulled into Cuddy's driveway. He put it into park and turned the ignition off. Cuddy and House both opened the door at the same time and Kara was forced to put her body into action. She opened her door and got out, closing it quietly. Her mind considered the possibility of running away. House wouldn't be able to catch her and her mom was in heels. Odds were good. She shook it out of her mind immediately. The jig was up and she should prepare for the consequences. He couldn't actually kill her...could he? It was always the surgeons who were the killers. Not diagnosticians.

She ducked her head and followed her mother inside of the house, feeling her dad's glare behind her. Kara took a seat on the sofa quietly, leaning back against the comfy cushions. House closed the door and then they both, Cuddy and House, took the offensive position. Standing tall and beside each other with hard glares directed both at Kara. "What were you thinking, Kara?" Cuddy finally snapped, breaking the ominous silence. "Principal Keller asked your father about the test you failed. We know we didn't sign anything." Kara cringed. They knew about the forgery. "Forging my signature is not acceptable. Kara, what are we suppose to do with you?" Cuddy asked, shaking her head at Kara.

Kara's mouth dropped open as her perfect chance appeared. She would so have to thank Skyler later. Kara pressed her lips together and conjured up some crocodile tears. "I'm sorry..." Kara said softly, giving her best innocuous look up at Cuddy. She could practically hear her mother's clogs slowing as she took in Kara's fake distraught expression. "All this stuff...it's just so difficult."

Cuddy tried to step forward, her arms opened slightly to take Kara into a hug, but House stopped her. "She's faking." House stated.

Cuddy looked over at Kara. Tears still trickled out of Kara's eyes. She sighed frustrated. "Kara..." She trailed off, swallowing hard. "You're grounded. You should know enough now that forgery is not the way. Go to your room."

Kara grimaced and got up slowly, heading towards her room. "And..." Cuddy said. Kara turned around quickly in disbelief. There was more? "That's just my punishment. Your father may make his own punishment as well."

House grinned. "Mom!" Kara whined.

"No, you deserve it. Forgery is against the law." Cuddy explained.

"So is murder!" Kara protested, throwing her hand out at House. House smiled even wider.

"You're father's not going to murder you." Cuddy said with a sigh, turning to look at House. "House," Cuddy barked, raising an eyebrow at his grin. He immediately frowned and shook his head.

"Come here, kid." House said, motioning to Kara. Kara gave a 'help me' look at Cuddy but she ignored it. Slowly, Kara slipped into House's rough embrace. "You're gonna wish you've been murdered." He whispered to her, patting her back reassuringly. "Now go to your room." Kara pulled away from House and retreated to her room.

Cuddy slid down on to the couch, putting her elbows on her knees. "How did you know she was faking?" She asked softly, putting her forehead in her hands.

House slowly joined her on the couch, leaning back and putting an arm on the back of the couch, watching her. "I didn't." He answered.

Cuddy looked up at him, alarmed. "Oh my god, what if she actually…" She began frantically, starting to get up.

House grabbed her elbow and forcefully pulled her back on the couch, closer to him in the process. "Did you see how quickly she stopped crying? Those are crocodile tears." House said soothingly, taking his hand off of the couch and putting it on his cane, twirling it between his legs.

Cuddy let out a shaky breath. "So, when do we do this parent teacher conference?" Cuddy asked lightly.

"Tomorrow at seven." House answered.

"I have an important meeting..." Cuddy began.

"I know. That's why there is no s in parent teacher conference." He admitted. Cuddy glared at him. "I know, I'm good." House said, getting up.

"House," Cuddy said, getting up too and walking over to him. House looked down at her carefully. "Thank you." She went on her tip-toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. House blinked. "You're very good at this father business then any of us give you credit for."

House shrugged. "It's easier than it looks. You just have to think evil." He told her.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "No. You just have to think like a younger, female version of yourself." She corrected him. He shrugged at her. "Now, are you ready for lunch?"

"Are you referring to the fact that you're going to cook food?" House asked worriedly. Cuddy turned to look at him slowly. "My stomach's pretty sensitive." He added.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"You have got to be kidding me! Don't they make professionals do this?" Kara asked loudly, glaring furiously at her father. They were standing in front of the MRI machine. House had brought along his favorite coffee mug and Kara had to bring yellow gloves, a mask, paper towels and a cleaning spray. House had made her change into some loose-fitting scrubs that he had Cameron get.

"I don't know. Anyway, I want to see it shine, kiddo." House said, taking out a piece of paper and a paperclip.

"What's that for?" Kara asked. House showed it to her.

If Found, Please Return to House

"Don't lose it." House said, clipping it to the back of her scrubs. "Have fun. I'll be back later." He said, putting the mask over Kara's mouth and nose.

Kara watched him leave the MRI room and turned her glare on to the huge expensive machine. She crawled inside and began spraying the alcohol smelling cleaner, scrubbing it carefully. With her luck, this machine would break.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Cuddy entered House's office, frowning as she found him listening to his Ipod. He took out his headphones and looked up inquisitively at her, as if she had interrupted something important. "Where's Kara?" She asked.

"Starting one of her many punishments." He told her candidly. Cuddy raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't worry; a monkey could do what she's doing. Now, what do you want?" He griped, glancing at his Ipod before looking back at Cuddy

"You have a new case." She said, leaning slightly against the door and crossing her arms. "I put it on your table. Cameron and Chase are all ready looking at it. Where did you send Foreman?"

House turned his Ipod off and got up. "Nowhere. He's skipping out...that bastard." He said, frowning and shaking his head.

"No. He's probably being responsible and finishing up some clinic duty...like someone should be doing in his free time." Cuddy told him.

"He's still a bastard." House told her, shrugging his shoulders and pushed past Cuddy, making her go out into the hallway in the process. "Now, I'm going to go check on our evil minion." House said, starting forward with a determined look on his face. Cuddy watched him walk away.

"Wait a minute, your case..." She said, realizing that she was letting him walk away but he all ready turned the corner. She pressed her lips together and shook her head at him.

House walked into the MRI room. "Cinderella!" He said, chuckling at his own joke. He watched as Kara came out, glaring at him angrily.

She took off her mask. "What?" She said quietly.

"Are you finished yet?" He asked impatiently.

"Basically." Kara answered, peeling off her yellow gloves.

"Good, come with me then." He said, heading towards the door. He glanced over his shoulder when Kara didn't follow. "That wasn't an option."

Kara followed him quietly. "That wasn't an option." She mimicked silently behind his back. She followed him into the conference room, where Foreman, Cameron, and Chase were discussing the current illness. "Sit." He barked. Kara sat on the far side away from House. "So, what do you think about him?"

"You mean her." Cameron corrected automatically.

"Who?" House asked.

"The patient." Cameron answered.

"Yeah, him." House confirmed, nodding his head.

"The patient's a woman." Cameron defended, looking up at House.

"Women don't look like that." House said, looking over at Chase, who was trying to hide his smile.

"How can you..." Cameron began outraged.

"Please someone tell me what they have on their mind before Cameron explodes." House said unenthusiastically, looking apathetic.

"Um," Chase began, straightening himself and running a hand through his blonde hair.

"Um?" House repeated. "Well, looks like you have some things to do, don't you. Cameron, why don't you go find your happy place? Or go tell he-she in there that it's beautiful or whatever you do." He said irritably. "Mini-me, come on." House said, heading out of the door.

Kara rolled her eyes and followed her father out the door and passed the patient's room. She paused slightly as she saw the sight of the woman. It was a very...ugly woman. She wasn't a man but she could be taken as one if Kara didn't look close enough. She wrinkled her nose and followed her dad to the elevator. She suddenly ran straight into House's cane. "Go down the stairs. I'll meet you in the lobby." House said, closing the elevator door.

Kara groaned and headed down the stairs quickly, beating House by about a minute. "Now, I want you to go outside and face the east wall of the hospital and count all the bricks on that side. Once you got the number, report back to me."

Kara's mouth dropped. "Does cruel and unusual mean anything to you?" Kara asked him injudiciously.

"No, I can't say it rings any bell. Have fun." House said, waving his daughter goodbye.

"But, dad..." Kara trailed off.

"Don't, but dad, me. Be careful I don't have you counting in Spanish." He patted his daughter on the head before turning away from her. Kara muttered something under her breath before heading out of the hospital. House swung by the cafeteria, sitting at the table with Wilson and grabbing some of his French fries.

"Oh, you can have them; I wasn't going to eat them." Wilson said sarcastically, looking over at House from his paper.

"Thanks." House said, grabbing the container.

"I was kidding!" Wilson exclaimed, trying to grab his remaining French fries but House swatted his hand away.

"Actually, you were being sarcastic. I get the fries because you didn't name the emotion correctly." House told him.

"That doesn't make any sense." Wilson stated despairingly.

"I know." House said, smiling.

Wilson sighed and resumed to his burger. "Where's Kara?" He asked.

"Doing a punishment." House answered quickly. "You got any ketchup?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be giving it to a French fry stealer." Wilson snapped, narrowing his eyes at House's ignorant behavior. House seemed to have an uncanny ability to know when Wilson was eating.

"French fry stealer? Stop being childish." House reprimanded, frowning at Wilson.

"So what exactly do you have Kara doing in a hospital?" Wilson asked, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest.

"Right now, she's counting bricks." House answered indifferent.

Wilson looked up abruptly at House's idea of punishment. "Counting bricks? What kind of punishment is that?" Wilson asked bewildered.

"It's not. It's just something that makes me laugh. And makes her wish she had a normal punishment." House answered straightforwardly.

Wilson shook his head silently at House's outlandish ideas. Only House could get away with something like that. "You're crazy." He said, grabbing his burger with both hands and taking a big bite out of it.

"And you're stingy." House added, snatching the ketchup packet underneath Wilson's napkin. "Sharing is caring." He said as he put the ketchup on his stolen French fries. Wilson rolled his eyes as he watched House finish his fries. "So, I need you to watch Kara for me."

Wilson sighed and leaned forward. "Why am I not surprised you need something? Why can't you do it?" Wilson asked.

"I have to go to a parent teacher conference." House answered unhappily.

"Cuddy's letting you go?" Wilson asked, surprised.

"I'm her parent." House pointed out.

"Cuddy wouldn't let you go if she could go. You must have set it up at a conveniently busy time for her." Wilson decided answering his own question.

"Will you?" House asked.

"I guess." Wilson said hesitantly, checking his wrist watch.

House chuckled. "You guess? Like you had any plans." House shook his head at Wilson's charade. Wilson's eyes narrowed and he grabbed the rest of his burger, getting up and leaving House at the table.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

House tapped his fingers impatiently on the chair's arm as he waited for Principal Keller to let him in. Apparently parent teacher conference meant, parent, principal, and a teacher. The secretary had her nose buried in a Cosmopolitan and he was pretty sure that if something would happen, she wouldn't know it. Finally, a little red light flashed on the phone. "Mrs. Graves, please let Miss House's parent in." Principal Keller said from the speaker phone, startling the woman. She looked up from her magazine and nodded at House.

He got up and walked into the principal's office where Keller and another teacher were waiting. "Mr. House, nice to meet you." Principal Keller said, shaking House's hand. "This is Mr. Thomas, your daughter's arithmetic teacher." He added, gesturing to the man beside him.

"Yeah, so what's this exactly about?" House said indifferently, leaning his cane against Keller's desk.

"Your daughter is failing Arithmetic and Science, and is barely passing English." Keller began calmly, reading out Kara's file.

"So wait, she's passing English?" House interrupted.

"Barely." Keller repeated.

"Okay, so this meeting is about her Arithmetic and Science." House said, putting his fingers together and watching Keller over them.

"Yes. You're daughter used to be an orphan, correct?" Keller asked. House nodded. "And you two are separated right?"

"We're not even dating." House answered, raising an eyebrow slightly. What did this have to do with Kara's grades?

"Is she acting out in any way at home?" Keller asked.

"Hold on." House said, leaning forward. "You think this is our fault?"

Keller sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not completely. I have a degree in psychology and..." He began.

"I don't care what the hell your degree is. Kara sees us everyday and she's perfectly fine about what's going on between her mother and me. She hasn't been acting out at all. So we may not push her to do her homework, but that can be fixed. Don't you have tutorials or something?" House snapped furiously, glaring bitterly at Keller.

"Perfectly fine? Are you sure?" Keller asked. House stared at Keller quietly.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"How long do you think its going to last?" Kara asked Wilson for the umpteenth time. Wilson slowly tore his eyes off the television and glanced over at Kara.

"I don't know. I never had my parents go to one and I don't have a child." Wilson answered, picking up another piece of pepperoni pizza. "So, I never asked you. How many bricks are on the east side of the hospital?" Wilson asked with an amused voice.

Kara smirked slightly. "Three hundred and forty seven." She answered easily. Wilson stared at her for a moment. "You want to know a secret?"

"What?" Wilson asked.

"I didn't count the bricks." Kara answered in a sing-song voice. "I just made up a number."

Wilson shook his head. "What did you do the whole time? You were gone for almost an hour." He wondered.

"I took a nap." Kara told him smugly. "Mom says I can sleep anywhere."

"You're young." Wilson reminded her. He got up and went into the kitchen.

"Hey Wilson? How do you know the way around my dad's house so well?" Kara asked. She watched as he came out with a drink.

"He let me bunk with him for awhile." Wilson answered sentimentality. Kara opened her mouth to ask him more inquiries but the door opened and House shuffled in with a look that could kill. Kara's buoyant demeanor quickly sunk down as fast as she slid down into the couch. Wilson even returned his attention back to the television.

House made it to the front side of the couch. "Start getting ready for bed." He told Kara. Kara bounced up quickly even though it was only eight thirty and grabbed her bag, hurrying to the bathroom. Kara turned on the faucet and then pressed her ear against the door in hopes she could hear anything. House made a sigh and collapsed on the couch, rubbing his chin.

"It didn't go that well?" Wilson asked uncertainly, lowering the volume of the television. House grunted. "You're going to let Cuddy go next time?"

House looked over at Wilson. "I wouldn't even let Cuddy go through something like that." House admitted. Wilson looked surprised. "They said it was our fault for our daughter to be failing. They said that because there are separation issues, we're involuntarily hurting our daughter."

"Separation issues? You guys aren't divorced or anything and you see each other every day." Wilson said, thoroughly confused.

"Exactly." House agreed.

"So," Wilson asked, downing his drink. "What are you going to do and what are you going to tell Cuddy?"

House sighed and shrugged. "I'll figure it out later." He said indifferently, grabbing for the remote and changing the channel. Wilson nodded. House slowly turned to face him. "That was a kind way of kicking you out." He pointed out.

"You're welcome." Wilson countered, shrugging his jacket on. House grunted again. "Goodnight, Kara."

"Night, Wilson!" Kara called from the bathroom, jamming her toothbrush in her mouth. She pulled it out when she heard the door close and put some toothpaste on the brush, finally doing what she was told. A few minutes later, Kara exited the bathroom, dressed in her night clothes. House had made her a bed on the couch already. She perched lightly on the edge of the couch and spotted House leaning on the frame of his bedroom door.

"Your mom has a lot of stuff to do and she has to stay later than usual. I'll take you to school tomorrow." House told her.

"Okay." Kara said, nodding her head. She opened her mouth and then closed it. She knew better than to ask him more about the conference. "Goodnight, Dad." Kara said softly, throwing back the covers.

"Goodnight." House repeated, turning the living room light off and closing his bedroom door. Kara waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness and the slit of light coming from House's bedroom. She was going to have to pick up the pace and actually...pay attention in school.

There we go. What is House going to tell Cuddy? We're getting to the part where it begins. Please review!


	26. Living Arrangements

I know, I deserved to be yelled at. I've neglected this for far too long, but life happens, right? But the good news is, I'm determined to finish this. Hopefully by the end of this year. I make no promises, but I'm putting it as a specific goal as mine. So, yeah, I hope you all who have read this, continue to. It's going to get good. For those of you just reading it now, I hope you enjoy it. And yeah…Here is my disclaimer. I don't own anything except the plot and Kara and all the other NPCs. So…please.

Chapter Twenty Six: Living Arrangements

"You shouldn't hide, House." Wilson told House helpfully as they sat in Wilson's office, watching an episode of a television show that Wilson watched at home on his computer. House's feet were on Wilson's desk and he was currently in Wilson's spot as well. Wilson had to grab another chair and sit beside House to watch the show too.

"I'm not hiding." House objected. "I'm just biding time." House looked at Wilson for a moment and then turned his attention to the computer screen. The door suddenly swung open and House picked up the nearest folder and opened it to cover his face, totally forgetting about his cane laying in the open.

"Dr. Wilson, you're needed." A nurse said. House slowly put down the folder discreetly. The nurse glanced at him wearily before closing the door.

"Well, I've got to go. Why don't you just get it over with already?" Wilson said, completely logging off his computer and standing up. House glared at him sourly.

* * *

"If it's not blood related, then what is it then?" Chase asked, clearly confused as Cameron and Foreman failed to bring up a solution. All of them slowly glanced at House, who was beginning to pour his second or third cup of coffee for the morning. He looked slightly tired and he all ready had the don't mess with me look on his face. "So, we should go back to the beginning then." Chase said. He already knew that they probably wouldn't get an answer from simply asking House. Of course, he all ready knew the answer. It was his game to make the other ones find it.

House looked up slightly, about to say something when a certain someone caught his eye. It was Cuddy. Now, usually he was always on the lookout for her and trying to avoid her at all costs, but today was different. She looked different. And there was someone with her. His eyebrows furrowed as he glared at them as they passed, talking and smiling and laughing as they made their way along the hallway. "House," Foreman started, causing House to come back to reality. He glared at Foreman only to look down. He was still pouring his coffee, which was overflowing from his mug and spilling on to the counter and then the floor.

He stopped and placed the coffee on its pad, picking up his mug and sipping at his coffee. "Sorry, I was lost in your stupidity for a minute, but don't worry, I found the light." He told them, wiping the side and bottom of his mug before placing it on the counter again. "I need a breath of fresh air." He said, limping out of the room.

Foreman stared at House for a moment before looked back at Cameron and Chase. "I'm not cleaning his mess." Foreman told them, staring at the whiteboard for the umpteenth time. Chase and Cameron glanced at each other quietly.

House caught up to them quickly enough. They had stopped in front of the elevators. The man, a clean shaven blonde haired man with green eyes, didn't look like the usual money donors that Cuddy dealt with. He was young and probably wasn't bound by any children or rings or anything. House sighed. "Hey, Cuddles, don't you want to know what happened last night, huh?" He said, standing next to the boy, turning his gaze on to Cuddy.

There was a moment of silence and Cuddy slowly glared up at him. "Maybe later, House." She said, her voice flat and that scary calm that happens right before the storm.

"It's about Kara." He interjected. He slowly turned his head. "Oh, did I interrupt something? I'm so sorry...I didn't see you there." He said, looking down. Up close, the boy looked like he was early thirties.

The boy pressed his lips together firmly. There was definitely something going on between them. "Is Kara your patient?" The boy asked, looking up at House.

"No. She's our daughter. Good times, huh, Cougar?" He said, smirking and winking at Cuddy. Cuddy's mouth dropped open with a small popping noise. She was utterly speechless. "By the way, it's kind of personal, so could you just like...I don't know...leave?" House added.

The boy looked at Cuddy dubiously before clearing his throat. "I'll be back later..." He trailed off, before getting into the elevator that had opened.

House watched the doors slid close and counted mentally to five. Right on cue, Cuddy raised her hand and he stepped back to evade her hand. "I searched for you all morning and then, the one moment that I'm not looking for you, you pop out of nowhere and...and...Oooooooooh!" She sputtered angrily.

House scowled at her. "Since when have you been dating?" House asked instead.

"Dating? I'm not dating anyone." Cuddy snapped.

"The boy was practically drooling." House told her, jerking his thumb towards the elevator. The nurses, who were well accustomed to what House did and could do, paid them no attention. They gave the two their space and continued on what they were doing.

"That boy is Mr. James Rinovich. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Rinovich, the people who paid for the..." Cuddy began.

"That's nice, but what was he doing here with you?" House asked.

Cuddy paused. "Why do you care?" She asked instead.

"Why do I care?" He repeated carefully, as if mocking her. Actually, he was stalling. "I care because of our daughter." He nodded as that sounded like a good idea. "Do you think she's ready for you to be in a relationship when she just got adopted over a month ago?" House said instead.

Cuddy sighed. "He was talking about taking me somewhere. We've never dated...but he wanted too...I was flattered." She explained.

"And that was why he was here?" House asked.

"No. He delivered his parents' check and stayed a little." Cuddy answered. The redness in her cheeks from her fury began to disappear.

"He's too young for you. Besides, he lives with his parents." House told her, glancing around. "What's that?" He asked, looking behind her. Cuddy turned and House turned on his heels and limped off.

Cuddy, who realized what was happening, grabbed House's wrist and caught him. "Now, what happened at the conference?"

* * *

Cuddy sat on one of her leather couches, staring somberly into a cup of coffee that House had gotten her when they first started their conversation. She sighed and looked up desperately at House, who was occupying the space next to her. He had leaned back and was now staring absentmindedly at the clinic. "So, what are we going to do about this? We can't just let this continue if this affects her and she doesn't need a therapist. I think she might feel the same thing as you do about shrinks." She asked him quietly.

House turned to face her. Luckily enough for him, she hadn't cried at all when she found out that it was somehow, possibly, their fault their daughter was making bad grades. House didn't believe, but Cuddy, well, mothers acted differently with their children. "I'm not sure." He answered. He looked back down at his cane. "I still don't..."

"What if..." She paused, chewing on her lip. "What if...for awhile...you stayed at my place. I have an extra room."

House blinked. "Are you asking me to live with you? Aww, Cuddles, if..." He began teasingly.

"Don't treat this like a joke, House. We're talking about our daughter's academic future." Cuddy snapped quickly, glaring at him.

"Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine." House countered. She opened her mouth to say something else, but House quickly interrupted her. "Yes, Cuddy, I will live with you."

Cuddy sighed and nodded. "Well, I'll have to make another copy of my key for you." She began slowly, mainly talking to herself.

"You don't have to. I already have one." He told her cheerfully. "And I know where your extras are. There's one in that lonely flowerpot. Another one on that windowsill near the garage..." He began.

"How the hell do you already have a copy?" Cuddy asked.

"I was worried for your safety." House told her calmly, leaning forward slightly for his own cup. A moment of silence passed between them and both of themselves staring at each other.

"You want to know what I made on that make up test?" Kara asked loudly, entering Cuddy's office after departing from Wilson. Both House and Cuddy jumped up startled, before both putting on a fake smile for Kara. She paused and let the door close behind her, staring at them. Something just happened. It had 'Talk about Kara' written all over it.

"Yes, of course. What did you make?" Cuddy asked sweetly, beckoning Kara to join them on the couch. House moved over and Kara made herself comfortable as one could be sitting between her parents. It was rather awkward.

"I made a seventy." Kara answered.

"A seventy?" House asked, raising an eyebrow at Kara.

"That's the highest you could make on a make-up. It's like a hundred." Kara told him.

"Except it's not like a hundred, its like a seventy. Next time, just do good on the test the first time." House said. Cuddy gave him a look. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm taking a long second lunch."

"Second lunch?" Cuddy asked.

"Yeah...I have a few things I need to...uh..." House explained, raising an eyebrow at Cuddy. Cuddy immediately knew what he was talking about. He was going to pack to make the new living arrangements work. She nodded and Kara and Cuddy watched House limp out.

Cuddy sighed and stood, beginning to collect a few papers on the desk. "You know," Kara began, standing up. Cuddy looked over at Kara. "If you're going to talk about me, at least don't act like you're not talking about me, because that makes it more noticeable that you are." She said before going towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm not too sure. I'm either going to see if I can borrow Wilson's portable TV thing or talk to Dad's team." She said, walking out. Cuddy stopped and watched Kara's retreating figure. She was definitely her father's child, as if that needed any more confirmation.

* * *

Kara glanced at the clock in the computer's taskbar, giving a small sigh before turning back to her amusing game. House and her were suppose to go home about fifteen minutes ago, but something came up with the patient and Kara had to wait. She had finished all of her homework after she had left her mother in her office. She had gone back to House's office and made herself comfortable at his desk and did everything she was suppose to. She was just finishing up when House had come back. He felt her forehead and seemed somewhat concern that she must have been sick. After that, he went on to pester his team and do a few errands around the Hospital. She hadn't really seen him since.

Kara could tell when something was up and something was definitely up between her parents. She didn't know what but she had a pretty good idea that it had to do something about the parent teacher conference. She didn't know what scheme they were cooking up, but she planned on figuring it out. Besides, when she figured out their plan, she could start executing Operation Matchmakers' ideas. Since their first official meeting, they hadn't gotten around to actually doing anything. If her parents had enough of a relationship to make her, she was pretty sure that it could be rekindled.

The door opened and House stepped in, frowning. "What are you doing?" He asked.

She jumped slightly and sent a glare at him. "Playing a game." She answered simply.

House headed over to her and stared at the computer screen. "How did you get to this site? Most of the internet sites are blocked..." He began.

"School. And, they're usually blocked by 'www dot blahblah dot com' so sometimes if you just type in 'blahblah dot com' well, sometimes it won't catch it." Kara explained.

"Huh." He nodded. "Well, come on, we're going home."

Kara obediently followed him. "So, what happened with your patient?" She asked quietly in the elevator.

"I was checking the lab and he-she went into respiratory arrest so we had to resuscitate." House explained.

"Resusi-what?" She asked.

"Resuscitate. Bring back to life." He answered. "Since when are you interested about my patients?" He narrowed his eyes at Kara.

"I was just asking a question." Kara counter back. House stared at her for a moment before going silent. There was nothing wrong about asking questions, it was just odd of her to ask about them when she had no interest in them before.

The ride was a quiet one, which was normal for them. Kara was busy stuffing her scarf in her backpack and a few other things that she had to wear to school. She didn't dare take it off in the hospital for fear of someone either bleeding on it, puking on it, stealing it, or her just forgetting about it. When House pulled up in Cuddy's driveway, she froze. "I'm not going over to your house?" She asked him quietly. Actually, she meant to say something about the fact that she was going to be left home alone, but she dropped it.

"Actually, uh, I'm living with you and your mother for a little while." House began slowly, cutting off the engine. "A few things came up and I just had to temporarily leave."

As Kara got out of the car, she narrowed her eyes. He had to temporarily leave? On what pretenses? This was something from the parent teacher conference. Did they think this would help her better? Well, it was going to make Operation Matchmakers work much easier since they were under the same roof now.

* * *

New Living Arrangements? You know what that means? The impending HUDDY. Yup, its arriving. Please please please review. It gives me more energy to write. Have a good day and like I said before, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting.


	27. Decisions, Decisions

I know I suck for making you wait this long, but here is another UPDATE! I know have LOTS of muse for this. GO ME! I would like to dedicate this chapter to KRISTY! You know who you are. :] OK! Disclaimer: I don't own any of this shit except for the NPCs and Kara and Skylar.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Decisions, Decisions

Kara closed her drawer quietly, after folding her uniform neatly. She had changed out of her uniform into a simple jeans and shirt. She had never really been in her mother's house after school and it just felt weird. She pulled the end of her shirt uncomfortably and tip-toed her way to the hallway, peering carefully into the living room. House had discarded his jacket and his cane was on the table beside the couch. The television was turned up and House was sitting on the couch, leaned in towards it and absorbed. She hugged the back wall of the living room, careful not to bump anything or gather House's attention as she made her way to the other guest bedroom. She slipped in and glanced around. His alarm clock was plugged in, his pillows were on the bed, he had a few of his other personal items around the room. She opened the closet and saw some of his clothes hanging. So he was planning to stay for awhile. She turned to exit and suddenly his phone went off. She heard his groan and then the definite sound of him coming towards the room. With a frantic look across the room, she went to her knees and hid under the bed.

She saw him come in and grab his phone off the dresser. He glanced at it and with an almost amused shake of his head, he moved and sat on the bed before opening his phone. "Why aren't you nosey?" He asked happily into the phone. Kara frowned and leaned a bit closer to House's legs, trying to hear exactly who it was. The sound of her mother's voice was recognizable, although muffled. "No, we're currently sitting outside freezing and starving to death. I'm about to call Foreman to see if he can't use one of his break in techniques. Of course we're inside, and don't worry, I'll make myself at home." With that, his phone snapped shut. His right foot went forward and Kara went to move back, when his foot came back and stepped on her fingers. She tried not to let out anything, but she couldn't help it. The moment House's heel smashed her fingers into the hard wood floor, she let out an involuntary yelp. There was an immediate silence as House moved his foot.. "Kara." House said.

With an inward groan, Kara crawled out from underneath the bed and gave House a sheepish look. He didn't look at all amused. "Let me see your hand." He said, holding his own open. Kara, still sitting on the floor, moved and gave him her hand. He barely glanced at it. "You'll just have a nasty bruise." He told her. Kara nodded. "Do you mind telling me why you were underneath my bed?" He asked.

"I was checking for monsters." She told him innocently.

House gave her a scowl. "Well, next time you decide to snoop on somebody, don't leave the closet door open." He advised. "Now, go do kid things and play outside or something."

* * *

"So your Dad's going to live with you guys now and he didn't really say why?" Skyler asked from the other line. Kara was sprawled out on her bed, arithmetic homework spread out in front of her, phone nestled between her shoulder and ear. The smell of lasagna was wafting through the house and the only thing she could hear was her father's television program. Her parents had bickered once when Cuddy got home, but other than that, both didn't really talk to each other.

"Yeah." Kara answered quietly, plugging something into her calculator. She scribbled the answer down.

"That's weird." Skyler stated. "You think it has anything to do with your parent-teacher conference?"

"It has too. It's the only thing that makes sense." Kara told her.

"Well, look on the bright side. At least Operation MM can be carried out now." Skyler opted.

"Kara, sweetie, dinner's ready." Cuddy said, leaning into the doorway.

"I'll talk to you later." Kara said before hanging up. She placed her pencil down and stood up, glancing at her hand. Luckily it wasn't swollen, but it was turning a rather nasty purple black color. Sighing unhappily to herself, she pulled herself up and walked after her mother, hanging the phone on the hook in the process.

"Hou-Greg." Cuddy said from the kitchen. He barely looked up. "Dinner."

Kara sat down at the table first, watching as her mother came and poured her milk, before starting to serve her. House limped over and he got served as well and finally all three of them were at the table, eating dinner. Kara glanced at her parents awkwardly. Cuddy was busy buttering her bread while House was just eating. Silence hung heavy in the room. Kara put a piece of lasagna on her fork and ate it quietly. She looked up suddenly as something occurred her. Hiding an almost devilish smile into her fork, she finished eating her bite before pouncing on the idea. "So, how long is a little while?" Kara blurted out.

Both House and Cuddy froze, looking over at Kara. "Excuse me?" Cuddy asked softly.

"You heard me." Kara answered quickly. "How long are you going to be here?" She asked House.

"Why are you suddenly curious about how long I'm here for? Snooping around isn't good enough for you?" House asked back just as suspiciously. Cuddy looked from Kara to House, confused.

"I just want to know how long I should expect headaches." Kara answered simply.

"Headaches?" Both parents asked at the same time.

"Yeah, you guys argue a lot, so I want to know how long the arguing is going to last." Kara said innocently.

"We don't argue a lot." Cuddy began to defend.

"We might bicker a bit, but it doesn't mean we literally fight. We just disagree on a few medical choices." House offered up.

Kara rolled her eyes. "I just want to know how long I should expect to sleep at Uncle Wilson's, because I don't want screaming and headaches to keep me from sleeping. That's all."

"Why would you be sleeping over at Wilson's?" Cuddy asked.

"He's not your Uncle." House pointed out.

"You have a perfectly good bed here and we wouldn't be screaming." Cuddy continued.

"You don't have any Uncles. We don't have brothers and your mother has only one sister. He's just a family friend." House told her.

"Why are you continuing on the Uncle thing? It's a term of affection." Cuddy asked House.

"I thought we already passed the argument part of this conversation." House countered.

"Actually, I'm not that hungry anymore. May I be excused." Kara stated quickly, pushing her plate away from her. Both House and Cuddy stared at her for a moment before Cuddy nodded. With that, Kara quickly headed to her room, a wide grin spreading across her features. If she made her parents believe that they bickered, they would try to resolve it. Which would enforce them to work together and not have as many fights. If they did that, maybe they could realize the true feelings they had for each other. It was an orphan's dream to get her parents back together and have their family live happily ever after. And Kara knew that both of them were capable of this. They owed it to her.

* * *

"I don't understand why they have so many teacher in-service days at your school." House grumbled at Kara in the morning, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Kara grinned over at him from her plate of waffles that she had gotten out of the freezer and warmed up. "I don't remember hardly any teacher in-service days when I was in school." He continued to gripe as he sat down at the table and picked up a piece of toast. He narrowed his eyes at Kara as he bite into. "Figures, our tax payer money at work and the kids get more teacher in-service days."

"I think they were called Dinosaur Migration day back then." Kara told him cheekily. House froze for a moment and pointed at finger at her. Grinning, she looked back down and put some more syrup on her already maple syrup drenched waffles.

"Easy with the syrup." Cuddy said as she bustled out of the hallway and into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, took out a yogurt, and began to eat as she continued to move around. "We don't need you bouncing around the walls of the hospital."

Kara took a bite, wiping the syrup off her lips and took a drink of milk. "Do I have to go to the hospital?"

House and Cuddy glanced at each other. "Oh yeah, we're just going to leave you at home here unsupervised for who knows long." House answered, shaking his head.

"You don't have to leave me here. I could stay with Skyler. I think her parents are going to take her to the water park. I'm sure Skyler's parents wouldn't mind me coming along."

Cuddy opened her mouth, but House sighed. "You think? We can't just give you to other people. I'm sure they would do it, but you can stay at the hospital. You can go another time to the water park, but we're going to be late. So, hurry up." House said. Kara sighed and finished her waffles. Yeah. She doubted her father would ever think about going to a water park with her. And her mother probably wouldn't go either. She looked back down at her waffles dejectedly, knowing full well that Cuddy was probably giving House the look.

"Well what did you want me to tell her? We can't just ship her off to different people any time we wish." House snapped angrily later on that day. Cuddy had paged him to her office which he had obeyed diligently. She didn't know whether to be impressed or suspicious. Kara had fallen asleep in House's office chair not too long ago, which concern Cuddy slightly if Kara was getting a good night's sleep in her home or not. "Besides, it's not like we can return the favor for their daughter, not that they would want us too. They don't like me. They made that apparent already. They only allow their daughter to spend time with Kara because they were besties in the orphanage and it's kind of mean to ruin a friendship because they had such a 'hard knock life'."

Cuddy sighed heavily, not even bothering to comment on his rude Annie comment. "You could have said it a little bit nicer." She told him tentatively.

He scoffed. "She's not an idiot, Cuddy. She's too smart to let people sugarcoat things. Just so you know, she gets that from me." He remarked.

"Did you even see the look on her face once you finished talking? I feel bad, House. I feel bad that we can't always be reliable, that we're always busy. Don't you?" She asked him. House fell quiet for a moment. He had seen her face and the desolate look she gave the waffles.

"I don't think she's really suffering. Granted, this isn't the first place most people want to spend time in, but she finds things to occupy herself with. Just the other day she was with Cameron and asking her questions about what she was doing and why. And she practically commands the television in the break room." House said quietly, watching as Cuddy smiled slightly at the news. "Though I suppose that if you wanted to be reliable for awhile... we could both take some time off. Vacation or something? Or, you could change our hours."

Cuddy laughed. "We're not going on vacation. But, I'll think about scheduling our hours differently. I want to be there for her... but this hospital doesn't run itself. And neither does your department."

"Oh really? I thought the Keebler elves did it while I was asleep." House retorted. Cuddy gave him a look as he stood up and left. There were times when he didn't need to say his two cents, but he did. It was aggravating and yet… she couldn't help but like it. It was just him. There was no other way to say it. She shook her head, getting House out of her thoughts before she went to her desk.

* * *

"So which parent are you bringing to Career Day?" Skylar asked over the phone later on that day. Kara paused momentarily, hearing the noise of the television and tiptoed to the hallway and carefully peeked out. She could see the back of her father's head from the couch and the movement of his arm as he took a drink of something. Satisfied, she tiptoed back and silently closed her door. "Kara, are you there?" Skylar asked loudly. For some reason, Skylar always seemed to have bad luck with phones. She either accidentally broke them, lost connection, or the battery would die in the middle of her conversations.

"I'm here, sorry, I had to go check on to see what my dad was doing." Kara explained, her voice somewhat hushed. It would be just her luck to get overheard.

"You're taking your Dad then?" She asked eagerly.

"I don't know." Kara answered with a sigh. First of, Kara believed it was awfully stupid to have a career day at their prestigious school regardless and not to mention they were about thirteen and not little kids anymore. The teacher said it would be engaging and not to mention help them figure out what they want to do in the future. Both of Kara's parents were doctors, but she had a feeling that both would not be happy if she took the other one and not them. Each of her parents had pros and cons. Her mother was not only a doctor but the Dean of Medicine, and ran the hospital. She would be nice and sweet and answer all the questions, but she wasn't sure if her classmates would find her too engaging. Not to mention she'll probably fuss over it for the next few days getting ready.

On the other hand, she could take her father. He was Head of Diagnostics and was always busy with interesting cases. He was smart and not to mention she figured it would be engaging to anyone hearing about his job. But if she took him, he could be a right ass. He wouldn't prepare and probably call someone stupid, not to mention she had a theory that her homeroom teacher did not like her father at all. If she took her mother, her father would be upset, and vice versa.

"You're taking your dad right?" Kara asked her instead.

"Yeah, he's the only one that works right now." Skyler answered. "You do realize, Kara, that they are grown ups? You don't have to baby them. They won't throw you back in the orphanage if you hurt their feelings. I've seen the way they look at you. They love you."

"Sklyer, it's easier said and heard, then..." Kara began to tell her, but paused when she heard a noise. "I heard you pick up the phone." She said quickly, just to make sure Skyler didn't repeat herself.

"Who are you talking to for an hour?" House questioned from the other line.

"Skyler, who else?" Kara snapped.

"Get off the phone for now. I'm calling pizza." House told her.

"Mom said to eat the leftover lasagna." Kara pointed out.

"She's not here right now, is she?" He asked.

"Yeah, but Mom's leftover lasagna is." Kara answered.

There was a momentary lapse of silence and Kara could pretty much guess that he was smirking at her statement. "You can call Skyler back when I'm done ordering." He said.

"Fine." Kara huffed. "Bye Skyler."

"Bye Kara." Skyler chimed right back.

The good thing about the fact that Kara's father got out early was that he could always entertain her. When the pizza came, he found a movie and they began to watch it. It was a tad bit outdated, even for Kara, but it was pretty interesting and not to mention, scary. Kara had rarely watched scary movies in the orphanage, but she had far too much pride to tell her father to turn it off at the somewhat gory scenes. She was however fine with wrapping her blanket around her tightly. Throughout the movie, she had moved subconsciously from one end of the couch to House's side. It was a somewhat tension filled scene and the murderer, or at least who Kara thought was the murderer, was walking down the hallway cautiously.

"What are you watching?" Cuddy's voice suddenly snapped from behind. Kara didn't mean too, but she let out a strangled cry and jumped, pressing against House's side and tugging her blanket even closer. "House! A scary movie? Seriously? I swear I can't trust you with anything." She said, coming from behind the sofa and grabbing the remote. House looked up at her, one hand around Kara.

"No, no don't pause it! It'll only make me even more paranoid. Besides, I want to see the ending, and more importantly, I want to see who is the murderer. I think I know who it is, and I need to be shown that I'm right." Kara quickly begged. It was half true. Kara loved to be shown or even told she was right, but she didn't want them to start bickering yet. She saw her mother's eyes glanced over at the pizza box and she quirked an intimidating eyebrow at him, before nodding slowly and continuing the movie.

* * *

Kara was faced with a choice when she woke up the next morning. She had heard her parents argue semi-quietly after she had gone to bed, talking about not eating the leftovers and then discussing the movie. There were several times they did get loud with each other, but then they quieted down a bit. They weren't fooling her. She looked up from her cereal, watching her mother rush about the kitchen, grabbing her purse and then digging for her lipstick, and then rushing over to get something else and then rushing back. She seemed like she was always in a rush. Her father on the other hand looked rather upset, since he usually was late to work apparently and living with Cuddy met he was going to be on time. It was Career Day and you had to either bring a parent, or a signed excuse why your parent could not come. She glanced between them both quietly, trying to find the right time to broach the subject.

"You're still not finished?" Cuddy suddenly said, picking up Kara's bowl. "I'm sorry, but it's time to go." She told her. "Go brush your teeth. Let's go."

Kara nodded and headed towards the bathroom, her decision already in place. The drive was a quiet one and Skyler sought her out after she got out of the car. "Which one did you pick?" She asked. Kara smiled at her.

"You'll see."

Kara never liked to go to any office for any reason, but this was the only exception. The receptionist was a rather old lady, unlike the sectary to the Principal, but she seemed to have the same personality and work ethic as the sectary. Kara stood at the desk for a few moments before the lady finally looked over at Kara. "What can I help you with, young lady?" She asked.

"I need to call my uncle. I don't know his number, but I know it's filed under my emergency contacts." Kara told her.

The lady raised her eyebrow at her. "Why do you need to call your uncle? Can't you talk to your parents?" She asked.

"My parents are away and I need to talk to my uncle. If you're not willing to let me call my uncle, I will be happy to inform my parents when they return." Kara answered, smirking slightly at her point. The lady blinked at her before turning around to face her computer and coming up with the file. She picked up the phone and dialed the number before handing Kara the phone. Kara took the phone and moved away from the receptionist. She waited until she heard Wilson answer the phone. "Wilson, I need you to come here. Don't worry about bring my parents. I'm not bleeding. I feel one hundred and ten percent good. I don't need a signature and this isn't a parent teacher meeting. I just need to speak with you... face to face. I can't talk to you through a phone. Will you come?" She paused as she waited his answer. Smiling, she gave the receptionist back the phone and waited in the office.

Wilson arrived shortly after, looking a bit worried. "Kara, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I need you to do Career Day for me." She answered simply, looking up at him.

"Career Day? You pulled me away from a meeting to do something that you should have asked your parents about?" He asked incredulously.

"I didn't make you miss your meeting. You did that all on your own buddy." Wilson blinked at her response. It was like talking to House. "Besides, have you ever had to decide between my mother and my father? No. You're my dad's friend. You're biased. I have both of them and if the other one found out, the other would be pissed. It's like elementary school... or so I heard. I've been home schooled. Sort of." She snapped at him, leading him towards the classroom. "Homeroom is about to start in ten minutes."

"You want me to do this now? I don't have anything ready. And I don't think your parents will like this idea." Wilson hissed after her, following.

"You'll be fine. Just say some medical stuff that no one can understand and then tell them cancer sucks. It's easy." Kara told him.

"Don't tell me this is going to be easy. And don't think we're not going to talk about this later." Wilson said.

"Just don't embarrass me." She told him, waiting outside the hallway of her class. After a few moments, the bell rang for homeroom and she entered the room with Wilson in tow.

Dun dun DUN! What are House and Cuddy going to do when they learn that their daughter rather enlist Wilson than ask one of them to do something for school? How will her homeroom teacher react when he realizes that Wilson isn't her father.


End file.
